[Zacharie]

Title: Vampire Huntress - The Hidden Darkness (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): L. A. Banks and Jess Ruffner (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Brian (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" I would imagine that any fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer would quickly become a fan of Vampire Huntress and vice versa."
Review: L. A. Banks’ Vampire Huntress - The Hidden Darkness #1

Previously in L. A. Banks’ Vampire Huntress: This is the first time I’ve heard of this title. Thankfully for all of us new readers out there, they include a brief history of the series on the back of the front cover. Born every thousand years is a human with the power of light called the Neterus (or Huntress). This is the story of a Neterus named Damali Richards who, with the help of the rest of the Guardians of Light, just recently defeated Lucifer, killed Lilith, destroyed the Vampire Council, and wounded the Anti-Christ. With their recent win over the powers of darkness, the Guardians find themselves with precious down time as their forces rest up and deal with the many pregnancies at home. Naturally, no calm can ever last as the forces of evil stir up new trouble.

THE HONEYMOON IS OVER

Our story opens with Damali and Carlos enjoying some quality time in bed professing their love to each other when Jose bangs on the door with bad news. A mass murder has been discovered in Baltimore where a group of twelve to fifteen people were found butchered seemingly by their own doing. Getting dressed, Carlos and Damali ran down to the communications room with Jose to meet with the rest of the team and assess the situation. A group of peaceful travelers were using a stadium as temporary shelter as they were passing through the area. Suddenly and for no reason, they turned violent and killed the children then turned on each other. While the team bickered as to who should join the search party, Jose gets Red Dog, the Baltimore squad leader, online to discuss the situation. After being properly debriefed, Damali ends the discussion as to who is needed for the team and sets out for Baltimore.

Arriving at the stadium, the team meets up with Red Dog and goes in to let their Seers see if they can detect anything with their third eye. Going into the heart of the carnage, Val, their other Seer, and Damali were caught off guard when they catch a glimpse of a dead child. With Val backing out, it’s up to Damali to determine what happened. As she goes into her vision, she finds that she needs to delve deeper than expected to see the truth. She ends up going so deep that she finds herself interacting with the events that took place as something has a firm grip of her and doesn’t let her break the vision. Suddenly, D finds herself filled with rage towards Carlos for killing the children. Realizing that a demon is filling her with false feelings, Damali is able to finally snap out of the trance and explain what she saw. The only real lead they get comes when Val picks up a piece of Hell Stone and discovers the name of a local warlock named Caspian. Arriving at the warlocks’ lair, the team prepares a fast assault before the sun goes down.

FAMILIAR YET DISTINCT

I really enjoyed reading this book. I’m sad to say that this is the first time I’ve ever heard of this title, let alone read it. Apparently there have been twelve volumes before this and this issue is the beginning of the epilogue to the series. There are a lot of different things that captivated me from the start. The whole premise of the book is very reminiscent of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. A chosen woman is born to fight the forces of darkness (mostly vampires) and, with the help of her friends, goes out to stop the apocalypse. They even have a dynamic where fate has brought about a second Neterus (Carlos/Faith). While there are many similarities, it doesn’t feel as though they ripped anything off. The world is so original and characters so unique that you feel like this could make for an incredible cross-over one day and not have Damali and Buffy facing mirror images of themselves.



BEAUTIFUL ART

One of the other aspects that drew me into this book is the incredibly beautiful art. The word that pops into my mind when I first think of the tone is “urban”. I know. It’s a stereotyped word now a days but it truly is the best way to describe it. The book features a lot of beautifully drawn men and women with slender builds and muscular/curvy physiques that Michael Turner or Ian Churchill would surely appreciate. Especially when the Seer girls have their wings on display; it looks very much like something out of Mr. Turner’s Soulfire. The clothing and hair styles feel like it’s right out of a Blade series with a multitude of different dreadlocks, afro’s, shoulder holsters, and muscle shirts. Each character’s look feels like it tells a story as diverse as the team itself though. You get a strong feeling for who the different players are and what they specialize in whether its brains, muscle or specialty skills by their appearance.

I HAVE NO IDEA BUT IT WORKS FOR ME

While I stated earlier that the art has an urban feel to it, the same is definitely true of the dialogue. There are a lot of abbreviated terms used throughout the book but not so many that you lose track of what’s being said. Instead, you tend to lose your focus because the issue uses a lot of terminology that isn’t explained. You get a general feel for what they’re talking about but, as you read it in the moment, it causes you to pause and wonder if that’s a term you would have known had you read the previous volumes. Aside from the unexplained terminology, there is also information that interested me that I was never told. Such as people’s names. Again, you can read the story and not worry too much about getting lost because everyone that goes on the mission has their name revealed to you at one point. There are, however, many interesting characters in the communications room that have lines and their names are never given. I’m a little put off by that only because the comic interests me so much that I want as much info as I can get without going into the obscure.

TAKE A LOOK AT THIS TITLE

This comic features strong men and equally strong women so, by all means, share it with your significant other. You’ll both be able to enjoy it. I’m intrigued by this title and want to seek out the previous twelve volumes. I really appreciate that they have a section to catch you up on their prior events, too. I give this issue four out of five stars for their beautiful art work and compelling story. I would imagine that any fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer would quickly become a fan of Vampire Huntress and vice versa.

More info:

Written by L. A. Banks and Jess Ruffner
Pencils by Brett Booth
Colors by Stephen Downer
Letters by Bill Tortolini
Cover by Brett Booth

Publisher:

[Zacharie]

Title: Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Jeff Lemire (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Chad Nevett (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" Consider 'Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E.' added to my pull list."
Review: Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #1

One of the stranger books to emerge in the new DCU, “Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E.,” revives the Grant Morrison/Doug Mahnke update of the character from “Seven Soldiers” fresh on the heels of a “Flashpoint” mini-series. Writer of the “Flashpoint” mini, Jeff Lemire, sticks around, making this issue feel less like a new writer coming aboard and more like someone who has a solid handle on the characters and where they fit in the world.

As an agent of the Super Human Advanced Defense Executive, Frankenstein (or, Frankenstein’s monster more accurately) finds himself coping with a new miniature headquarters, biological robot support staff, a new team of Creature Commandos, and his boss now inhabiting the body of a small Japanese girl. Frankenstein’s reticence at these changes both give the sense of this being a fresh start for readers and sells the idea of just how weird S.H.A.D.E. is. I mean, if Frankenstein walks around pointing out how strange things are, they must be pretty darn strange! Lemire also makes a clever choice by making Ray Palmer one of the regular cast and the one responsible for the teleportation/miniaturization technology that allows for S.H.A.D.E.’s HQ to be tiny and that much more difficult to break into.

With S.H.A.D.E. and the cast defined, the plot Lemire cooks up is fairly simple and straight forward: monsters have popped in a small town, killed everyone, and are now contained by S.H.A.D.E. Frankenstein and the Creature Commandos have six hours to go in, rescue his estranged wife, figure out where the monsters came from, and destroy them or S.H.A.D.E. will nuke the entire area. Considering how weird and open-ended the concept is, beginning with the most basic of plots is smart and allows for Frankenstein and company to kick some butt. It’s a showcase plot, perfect for introducing the characters and series.



The big surprise of the comic is Alberto Ponticelli on art, where he adapts his style to seemingly mimic Lemire’s artistic style. The style he used on “Unknown Soldier” wasn’t leagues away, but, here, his use of thick, messy lines, and slightly misshapen, blocky characters is visually reminiscent of Lemire’s art. Add in Jose Villarrubia, Lemire’s colorist on “Sweet Tooth” and it’s the next best thing to Lemire writing and drawing the book himself.

Even with some similarities, that doesn’t take away from the strange energy that Ponticelli brings to his pages or the compositions. Frankenstein is a hulking creature that doesn’t quite look human, like he was put together wrong somehow. When the S.H.A.D.E. agents enter the town, the pages of them fighting with the monsters are chaotic and full of detail, while maintaining focus and clarity. The casualness with which Frankenstein fires his gun to the side is great and shows how in control he is of the situation.

“Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E.” was a title I was planning to skip until it became one of the comics I was reviewing this week. That was my lucky break, because it’s a high concept, entertaining comic with great looking art and writing that manages to introduce the characters, the plot, and how they all fit together without seeming heavyhanded. Consider “Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E.” added to my pull list.

More info:

Written by: Jeff Lemire
Art by: Alberto Ponticelli
Cover by: JG Jones

Publisher:

[Zacharie]

Title: Conan the Barbarian Mask of Acheron (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Stuart Moore (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Billy (Review 1) and Daniel V. Reilly (Review 2) (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" If you are a Conan fan or just want to get pumped up for the movie (obligatory Arnold reference), check out this book."
Review:

Review 1 - When Conan was just a boy, he saw his father get brutally beaten right in front of his eyes. He also cut off the nose of one of the savages that beat his father. This is just one reason why Conan of Cimmeria grew up to be a frightening warrior with unmatched skills. The Mask of Acheron is an ancient artifact that was used by a very scary race of magical beings known as Necromancers (or magicians) to basically take over half of the world. They ruled for quite some time, but eventually the mask was shattered to pieces by a barbarian during a battle. Khalar Zym also had a very violent past. He had to watch the woman he loved get burned at the stake for practicing the dark arts. He and his daughter watched her burn, but before she died, she put a curse on the ones responsible, and told her husband to get the mask and bring her back from the dead. He then makes it his life’s pursuit to find the pieces of the mask, but he also needs to find something else. He has to have the blood of a pureblood Acheron woman to complete the ritual and bring his beloved wife back from the depths of Hades. The only problem is that Conan wants to exact revenge on Khalar for killing his father!

So, for those of you who don’t know, this book is an adaptation of the new Conan movie coming out this Summer. It does look pretty good, and after reading this book, I’m sold. The only bummer is that I won’t be able to take my son because of the “R” rating. The book is written in the traditional Robert E. Howard form, and definitely does a good job keeping you attached to the pages. Moore spins a typical Conan tale, complete with a decapitation, bloody battles, and swooning women. The art by Gabriel Guzman is definitely more than serviceable. His close-ups on people are just OK, but his battle scenes and far away shots are very good. If you are a Conan fan or just want to get pumped up for the movie (obligatory Arnold reference), check out this book. You can’t beat the cover price, and Dark Horse added some cool extras in the back as well! Rating 4/5



Review 2 - CONAN THE BARBARIAN: THE MASK OF ACHERON, which I assumed would be an original graphic novel that functioned as a prequel to the upcoming Jason Momoa movie CONAN THE BARBARIAN, is actually something else entirely. It's basically an adaptation of the movie, with Conan as a side character who appears occasionally to foil the plots of the book's true subject: Khalar Zym, the film's villain. So be aware that, if you read this before seeing the movie, significant aspects of the film, including the finale, are going to be spoiled. The book gives us background on Zym that I'm betting the movie will not include, but overall, it seems to be a straightforward adaptation, albeit one told from the point-of-view of the villain, rather than the hero. Stuart Moore and Gabriel Guzman do serviceable work with the story and art, respectively, but there's nothing really outstanding about either. The book is rounded out by a long, rather dry, article about Robert E. Howard's mythical land of Acheron.

More info:

Writer: Stuart Moore
Penciller: Gabriel Guzman
Inker: Jason Gorder
Cover Artist: Gabriel Guzman
Genre: Fantasy, Action/Adventure

Publisher:

[Zacharie]

Title: Rogue Trooper (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Gerry Finley-Day (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Steve Parker (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" An enjoyable look at the birth of one of greatest character concepts in the history of the self-styled 'Galaxy's Greatest Comic'."
Review:

Back in 1981, 2000AD was approaching it's fifth birthday as an established part of the UK publishing landscape with an impressive array of recognisable SF characters such as JUDGE DREDD and STRONTIUM DOG. But one thing lacking amid the future lawmen, dinosaur farmers, robot disaster squads and mutant bounty hunters was a successful futuristic take on the traditional British comics staple, the war story. Something closer to the traditions of CHARLEY'S WAR than DAN DARE.

2000AD's only previous attempt at this type of story had been THE VC's, a basic but well-received story of space-borne warfare. Given this, VC's writer Gerry Finley-Day was teamed with Dave Gibbons ("WATCHMEN") to create a character concept that would bring the war story back down to ground level.

ROGUE TROOPER features a future conflict with two human factions (Norts and Southers) fighting over the strategic planet of Nu-Earth. Widespread chemical warfare has rendered the environment lethally poisonous, with troops on both sides stumbling across the battlefield dressed in cumbersome chem-suits like medieval knights in armour. The Souther Genetic Infantrymen - genetically engineered to thrive in the toxic wonderland of Nu-Earth - should have yielded a strategic advantage. However, betrayed by a self-serving Souther General, they're massacred, and the position of stalemate restored.

In the aftermath, a battlefield legend emerges of a single surviving GI, the Rogue Trooper. While the war continues around him, he follows his own path in pursuit of the traitor General, seeking vengeance for his slaughtered comrades.

As with a lot of the best 2000AD work, there's an edge of social comment, a "War Is Hell" message alongside the action. It's no coincidence that the manufactured-to-fight Genetic Infantrymen share an acronym with the American "General Issue" servicemen from WWII, the dehumanising label reflecting the view of soldiers as interchangeable components in the larger war machine.

Despite war itself being the "villain" of the piece, Finlay-Day recognises the need to give the reader a side to root for. While neither protagonist army is portrayed particularly sympathetically, the Souther troops are definitely more fully realised. Fear, anger and confusion are visible through their chemsuit faceplates, while the Norts are largely reduced to a faceless mass of killers behind their opaque gasmasks. Occasional interjections of "Nortspeak" are also evocative of both German and Russian, familiar to the 80s readership as adversaries from the stories of WWII and the Cold War.

A trademark component of the ROGUE TROOPER concept is the imaginative depiction of exotic future technology, from giant "Dreamweaver" tanks with their hallucinogenic gas weapons, down to daggers with vibrating blades for ripping through chemsuits. But the key piece of future-tech that both makes Rogue the character so memorable, and shapes the way that ROGUE TROOPER the story unfolds, is the bio-chip.

The idea is that a GIs' accumulated combat experience is too valuable a commodity to throw away lightly. So, if mortally wounded, a GI's personality is downloaded onto a semi-organic computer chip. These can be kept powered up in slots on another GI's equipment until a replacement clone body can be provided. This further reinforces the theme of military dehumanisation, with troopers reduced to their bio-chips becoming weapon components physically as well as metaphorically.



This gimmick allowed ROGUE TROOPER to use elements from two classic types of 2000AD story. Firstly, there was Rogue as the last of his kind, the final GI stalking Nu-Earth on a mission of vengeance. And with the biochips having voice synthesizers and being able to partially control their host items, ROGUE TROOPER also functions as a buddy-buddy team story.

The challenge, then, was to construct believable and distinct personalities for Rogue's three bio-chipped companions. Trooper Gunnar - having become one with Rogue's rifle - identifies with the killing process rather too much and develops a psychopathic aspect to his personality. Bagman functions as quartermaster, dispensing equipment from the backpack into which he's installed. In danger of lumbering himself with a deus ex machina character, Finlay-Day introduces a flaw in the shape of a dementia induced by a battle-damaged chip. Finally there is Helm, the bio-chipped helmet, whose inherent limitations as a protaginst are acknowledged in the character's constant doubts about his usefulness to Team Rogue.

The bio-chip personalities are firmly established by the end of FUTURE WAR, both adding dramatic tension to the story and acting as catalysts for character development. The volume even closes on two stories with Bagman and Helm as their focal characters. This seems a little more forced than originally intended, as they were originally published more than six months apart as bookends to the epic "All Hell On The Dix-1 Front" story that presumably didn't fit within the page count.

But despite the high-tech weaponry, ROGUE TROOPER works best when concentrating on the grim nature of war, the horror that's independent of whether fighting with swords and shields, or laser knives and semi-sentient assault rifles. This is most evident in a standout sequence where Rogue encounters two former friends drastically changed by the war. One has become a cold-blooded psychopath, while the other can no longer see why they're fighting. These opposing viewpoints throw them into inevitable conflict, and Rogue can only bear witness to the tragic outcome.

Indeed, the only real failure among the stories in FUTURE WAR is a sub-TRON story set in a computer controlled city. As Bagman and Helm are transplanted from the nightmarish Nu-Earth environment into a sterile virtual world, any elements with which the reader can identify are removed.

FUTURE WAR contains artwork from several different artists. The first half of the book is largely by co-creator Dave Gibbons, and definitely shows signs of the design aesthetic he later used on THE ADVENTURES OF MARTHA WASHINGTON, especially in the giant tanks and chemical warfare suits.

The fine-lined Central European style of Colin Wilson and the grittier Cam Kennedy both add something to the concept without disturbing the visual continuity, and there's also a stylish cameo from Brett Ewins prior to his co- creating another classic 2000AD future war strip, BAD COMPANY.

Like many of the best 2000AD stories, ROGUE TROOPER has a strong anti-establishment stance and a hard satirical edge, but without losing sight of the need to wrap these in a compelling and exciting action-oriented story. While the storytelling is sometimes a little simplistic by today's standards, and occasionally disjointed due to the episodic nature, FUTURE WAR is an enjoyable look at the birth of one of greatest character concepts in the history of the self-styled "Galaxy's Greatest Comic".

More info:

Writer: Gerry Finley-Day
Artists: Dave Gibbons, Cam Kennedy, Colin Wilson, Brett Ewins & Eric Bradbury

Publisher:

[Zacharie]

Title: The Essential Batman Encyclopedia (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Bob Greenberger (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: groucho (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" A wonderful invitation for new or long-absent readers fearlessly to jump back in to reading new or old Batman comics."
Review:

The back cover of Robert Greenberger's The Essential Batman Encyclopedia hits the nail on the head. It isn't mere hype to call this book "a must for every Batman fan's bookshelf"—any fan of the Batman comics, that is. This reference isn't the place to go for characters exclusive to the Batman TV show or invented for the Batman films, unless those characters eventually turned up in the comic books. Batfans are in good hands with Greenberger, who has worked for DC Comics, on and off, for years as an editor and executive (incidentally, Trekkers will also recognize Greenberger as the editor of two Star Trek titles and author of several Trek novels). Greenberger knows his DC history and sets forth his ambitious goal in a pithy Preface: to itemize the history of the Batman universe from May of 1939 to September of 2007.

Readers can look elsewhere for entries on the Batman writers and artists (though there's a simple page of artist credits at the back of the book): Greenberger has enough on his plate in cataloging the characters and key elements of the comic-book adventures, from serial killer Abattoir to planet Zur-En-Arrh. Each entry includes parenthetical references to the comic title (Batman, Detective Comics, World's Finest, et al) from which each given milestone comes. The book is thoroughly illustrated from the DC archives, inlcuding two 16-page color inserts—the first focusing on heroes and the second on villains.

/content/features/236/2.jpgThis sort of enterprise will always invite quibbles from fans ("What? Only 7 lines for Killer Moth?!"). Though Greenberger begs pardon of the reader due to space considerations, the 388-page book gives a reasonable impression of being exhaustive, without ever being long-winded. "Crime Alley," where Thomas and Martha Wayne met their end, merits 15 lines, Ra's al Ghul's "Lazarus Pit" gets around 60, and "The Joker" gets about 365. The fun part is flipping around to read about the obscure characters from forgotten adventures: a modern-day "Cratchitt, Timmy" (father Bob) from a Christmas Carol-themed story in Batman #9, for example. How about one-time 1948 bad guy "The Crier," who Batman and Robin encountered on a time-travel trip to ancient Baghdad (I'm guessing he ain't coming back)?

Greenberger's Preface explains the concept of multiple universes in the DCU (DC Comics Universe)—Earth-1, Earth-2 and so on—and promises to "sort all of this out by clearly identifying what happened in each reality." Because he fulfills this promise, The Essential Batman Encyclopedia is ideal for the hardcore Batman reader, but also a wonderful invitation for new or long-absent readers fearlessly to jump back in to reading new or old Batman comics. And to true-believing Batman fans, that's a gift that keeps on giving.

More info:

Written by Bob Greenberger

Publisher:

[Zacharie]

Title: Batman - War Drums (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Andersen Gabrych and Bill Willingham (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: R. SHARIFF (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" All in all the stories are good...not great but good. Recommended for the Batman completists.
"
Review:

This collection collects Detective Comics #790-796 and Robin #126-128 and is written by Anderson Gabrych and Bill Willingham (Fables) and illustrated by Pete Woods and Damion Scott. The first story is a stand-alone and deals with Batman on the eve of Jason Todd's (ex-Robin) birthday. The next two stories deals with how a female Rap star has her sister missing and injured by a rival record lable and winds up in the care of Batman's long-time friend Dr. Leslie Tompkins. Leslie is kidnapped along with the injured girl and Batman is hell-bent on finding them. And to make matters worse, the rival gang is equipped with hardware courtesy of Mr. Freeze (i.e. ice bullets that melt). The story basically re-examines the relationship between Bruce Wayne and Dr. Tompkins. The next two stories are by far the worst in this collection and features Tarantula (a character who I and a lot of Batman and Nightwing fans abhor). Apparently a Hispanic legend dealing with filth and grabage (literally) has come to life. Like I said this was by far the worst story in the collection.

Once you have dragged past or skipped over the former stories, the latter portion of the collection follows Stephanie Brown aka Spoiler and now the new Robin in her training to become Robin. We basically get a glimpse in her 15 minutes of fame as Robin. The stories are pretty-well written and is told from Stephanie's POV. We also get a look at Tim Drake's (ex-Robin) life as a civilian. But before he can get too comfortable, Robin's nemesis Johnny Warlock (see Robin: Unmasked) has hired a skilled killer to hunt down teenage boys at home matching Robin's physical description. It is up to Batman and the new Robin to stop the killer before she reaches Tim Drake. In between all this we get a stand-alone story featuring Zsasz. Zsasz in my opinion is a severly underestimated character. He is the Hannibal Lecter in Batman's Universe. He slits the throat of his victims and then tallies them up by cutting himself. This story is the best in this collection and the writer does a very good job of conveying Zsasz's threat and power.

I just have a single point to state here...the writer Anderson Gabyrch has this tendency to portray all African American characters as MTV marketed Rap Stars. Read the second story and you'll get my point. He is a new-comer and he has good potential (see the Zsasz story) but here his work suffers terribly because of the Tarantula story. Bill Willingham also writes well, his work shows Batman a little more light-hearted but still not bad.

This collection mainly sets the premises for the atrocious Batman War Games crossover (see my review). All in all the stories are good...not great but good. Recommended for the Batman completists.

More info:

Writers: Andersen Gabrych and Bill Willingham
Artists: Various

Publisher:

[Zacharie]

Title: The Last Castle (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Bill Willingham (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Tim Hartnett (Don't click it, read the review here... )

"This is one not only for Fables lovers, but for adventurers and fantasy followers alike."
Review:

Wow, this is refreshing! After a week full of dismal comic book efforts I wouldn't bring home to my mother, we finally get something of the utmost quality, from Bill Willingham himself!

This is actually a bit of a change from the previous tone in Fables, as the Bill Willingham we see here is more of a serious storyteller than a stand-up comic. Granted, there are some tongue-in-cheek moments, such as Bill revisiting the subplot of Boy Blue being a white, rejected blues artist, but for the most part this is more of a fantasy epic than a grand-scale parody.

And it's an excellent one at that too. We learn more about why the Fables reside in the "Mundy" world, in addition to learning that they're not necessarily the bumbling stereotypes with little regard for life (at times) we've come to know them as. There was an "Adversary", as he is called here, who were after the Fables for some reason or another, and sent his armies to destroy all but their last stronghold. After the Adversary's final attack, only a few escape, and they are the last arrivals at the Mundy world.

What perhaps most surprised me was Willingham's ability to shape the (serious) relationship between Boy Blue and Red Riding Hood. It's a bit of a tip of the hat to Titanic flicks, and I especially liked the way it was done here. Another pleasant surprise came as Boy Blue witnesses the deaths of his comrades. This scene is an extremely clever, tragic, and comedic ride all rolled up into one, that almost reads as a Shakespearian narrative. Again, this is a departure from the more spoofed love and conflict in the regular Fables programming.

Steve Hamilton provides some damned impressive pictures too. Hamilton uses few medium-sized lines to shape his artwork, which is properly colored by Lovern Kindzierski. It leaves a very simple, but realistic effect, being both true to the times and reminiscent of classic comic book realism. The sometimes sketchy feel of it can be attributed to the glossy paper and the more modern, hyper-accurate printing methods.

This is one not only for Fables lovers, but for adventurers and fantasy followers alike. It provides an outstanding "jumping on" point for the regular series, as these many genre fans are pulled in by Willingham's masterful storytelling. You better hurry though, I got the last one at my shop. On a Wednesday.

More info:

Writer: Bill Willingham
Artists: Steve Hamilton and P. Craig Russell

Publisher:

[Zacharie]

Title: Trick 'r Treat (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Marc Andreyko (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: John Gholson (Don't click it, read the review here... )

"I can really only recommend it to those that adore Dougherty’s film."
Review:

If you really want to experience the differences in storytelling between comics and film, comic book movie adaptations are always a great place to start. The panels serve as a series of “greatest hits” moments from the film, the writers and artists thanklessly reducing thrilling cinematic action sequences into a static panel or two, and swapping emotional character beats for only the choicest one-liners. It’s got to be a tough job. DC/Wildstorm does their best effort with TRICK ‘R TREAT, the comic adaptation of Michael Dougherty’s straight-to-video anthology love letter to Halloween. Sporadic screenings and good word of mouth have helped TRICK ‘R TREAT gain a cult audience in advance of its official release, and I think those that are already huge fans of the film will be interested in seeing how the story unfolds in a comic book format.

There are four different artists at work here, working under Marc Andreyko’s writing, which is faithful to Dougherty’s script, but uninspired. Mike Huddleston (Gen 13, Friday the 13th: Badland) tackles the first quarter of the book, which includes two major scenes from the film–the opening vignette wherein a young couple return home from a long night of partying, and the film’s most conceptually disturbing story, which introduces sinister school principal Mr. Wilkins. Huddleston has a straight-forward, pleasing comic art style that’s a touch on the cartoony side, but he compliments it here with heavy blacks and dramatic silhouettes. Grant Bond (Archibald Saves Christmas, Gene Simmons’ House of Horrors) takes on the story of a Halloween trick gone horribly wrong. A group of kids decide to scare an idiot savant with the local legend of a school bus full of mentally disturbed children that fell to their watery grave in a rock quarry one Halloween night. It was my favorite segment of the film, and Bond’s pastel-colored visuals give the tale a storybook quality that feels appropriate.

I wasn’t so pleased with the weird artwork of Christopher Gugliotti (Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Raising Cain). He adapts the section of the film featuring Anna Paquin and her girlfriends hunting for boys to bring to their own secret Halloween get-together. Likenesses are always a trouble-spot in film adaptations, but Gugliotti avoids that issue altogether by barely making his characters look human. They’re an ugly computer-enhanced mess of bubbly, muddy colors. The in-panel compositions are often confusing, and the young ladies, who were all smoking hot in the film, have grotesquely wide-set, vacant eyes and gaping Muppet-like mouths. Gugliotti’s experimental art seems better suited for street graffiti than the pages of a comic book. Fiona Staples (North 40, The Secret History of the Authority) rounds out the book with the tale of a bitter old man stalked by the film’s unofficial mascot, the pint-sized, pumpkinheaded monster named Sam. I’m a recent fan of Staples, and I’m happy to report that her work on North 40 was no fluke. Her jagged edges and moody colors are well-suited for this kind of thing, and I hope one day she finds the right project to make her a break-out star.



If you haven’t seen the movie, you’re going to have a little trouble following the details of the story. There are moments that simply don’t translate into comic book form, and there are also big moments that won’t make any sense to those unfamiliar with the film. There’s a scene in the opening of TRICK ‘R TREAT where a young lady notices a masked stranger standing across the street from her as she takes down Halloween decorations from her yard. It’s the first moment of tension in the film, because it recalls similar scenes in horror movies like HALLOWEEN. That tension is quickly relieved when we find out that it’s just some kid waiting for his ride. With his mask on, we realize he probably wasn’t even watching the woman, and the audience gets a minor chuckle at being scared of nothing.

This scene didn’t need to be included in the comic. It gets three whole panels, it does nothing to further the story, and, because the gag is an entirely cinematic one, it makes no sense on the printed page. Some of the blame falls on editor Scott Peterson, who I have to assume oversaw this project without a copy of the film. There’s also little consistency from artist to artist in the way that characters are drawn. One character without a costume in Huddleston’s section is seen with a costume in Bond’s story (which is made even more noticeable because the stories intersect). There’s a major twist in Gugliotti’s segment that is ruined, not only by the odd artwork, but by Andreyko not writing the characters any dialogue that would clarify the twist.

They don’t have any of that kind of talk in the film, but the film doesn’t need that sort of exposition. We can see the twist on the screen, and we understand what’s happening because we recognize the actors involved. I’m tiptoeing around specifics so I don’t spoil anything, but the inconsistencies are all over the place. Staples’ likeness of the unmasked Sam looks absolutely nothing like the character in the film. It’s not poorly drawn; it’s just obivous she never got a character style sheet and had to go off her own imagination. The scene where Mr. Kreeg burns a photo is a very significant moment in the film, but here in the comic, it’s treated in a confusing, easily forgettable manner. Fans of TRICK ‘R TREAT can fill in the rough patches with their memory of the movie, but there’s little narrative reward for the casual reader.

As far as adaptations go, TRICK ‘R TREAT is adequate. Most of the art captures the film’s energy–a darkly comedic celebration of jack o’lanterns, ghouls, and ghosts. I don’t envy Andreyko’s task of converting moving pictures into a glossy 96-page graphic novel, but he does a servicable job, despite a noticeable lack of creative finesse. It would probably make a good gateway comic for younger fans interested in the horror genre, if it weren’t for the R-rated language, but other than that, I can really only recommend it to those that adore Dougherty’s film.

More info:

Written by Marc Andreyko
Art by Mike Huddleston, Grant Bond, Christopher Gugliotti, Fiona Staples

Publisher:

[Zacharie]

Title: House of Mystery (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Matthew Sturges (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Timothy Callahan (Review 1) and Timothy Callahan (Review 2) (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" Though I don't know what's at stake and who all the players are, I know that my curiosity is piqued."
Review:

Review 1 - House of Mystery #1 - In this resurrection of the "House of Mystery" concept, writers Matt Sturges and Bill Willingham have come up with the perfect way to sell an anthology series in the 21st century: copy the model of the hit ABC television series "Lost."

Like "Lost," "House of Mystery" has an oddball collection of characters who long to escape their mysterious imprisonment (in "Lost" it's the island, and here it's the House of Mystery itself), and each episode features a self-contained short story about one character's past. At least, that's the structure of this first issue, and it was the structure "Lost" maintained for its first couple of seasons. Such a structure allowed "Lost" to operate as an anthology series for years, slowly developing the mystery of the island as it spent more time each week telling a single tale from a character's life. "Lost" eventually evolved beyond that, and I wouldn't be surprised to see the same thing happen here. But if the first issue is any indication, "House of Mystery" will use the overall mystery of the house to keep the readers coming back, and the short stories within each issue as a showcase for Bill Willingham's brand of gothic horror.

In this issue we get a four-pager illustrated by Ross Campbell who mixes cuteness with creepiness to sublime effect. The brief interlude sheds light on a character trapped in the House of Mystery, but it's also genuinely chilling on its own. While I liked the rest of the comic, this brief tale, called "The Hollows" sold me on the potential greatness of this series. If each issue has a short horror tale of this kind of quality, it will definitely keep me coming back for more. It's horror of a nightmarish quality, the kind of thing that nestles into your psyche for days. It's a very effective four pages.

The serialized story, far more than just a framing sequence, is written by Matthew Sturges, and it cuts back and forth between the inhabitants of the House of Mystery and a young girl fleeing from two tattered, but formally clad, apparitions. The girl carries what appear to be blueprints for the House of Mystery, drafted from her dreams.

Clearly the girl will be important to the narrative -- she seems to be the protagonist, even though we know little about her. It is the House of Mystery, though, and would you expect answers in the first issue?

As a way to trick reluctant readers into buying an anthology series, "House of Mystery" seems to work. The main narrative has enough strangeness and, well, mystery, to propel the story forward, and the small little flashback tales are an added facet to this potential jewel. The "Lost" model can work in comics, I think. I just hope Sturges and Willingham don't get bogged down by their need to keep the mystery alive at the expense of the solution.



Review 2 - House of Mystery #27 - I liked the first issue of this series, and the way it was structured with a long-form mystery plot as a frame story around various nice-looking anthology tales. But I didn't stick around for more than a handful of issues, as I lost interest in the main plot rather quickly and the guest artists drawing the embedded stories didn't lure me consistently. So "House of Mystery" #27 is the first issue of the series I've read in nearly two years.

In many ways, this review is a check-in, to see if I like this issue enough to start buying it again, or even find enough of interest that I'd feel compelled to track down all the issues I've missed. But the reason I chose to jump back in to the series with this particular issue -- admittedly a not-very-inviting time, as this is "Part 2 of 5" of the "Safe Houses" arc -- is the presence of Brendan McCarthy.

So this review is also a response to the implicit question: Is the Brendan McCarthy contribution worth a look?

As CBR readers who have been paying attention know, Brendan McCarthy is an artist who has received my accolades more than once. He's a major talent in the industry, though he hasn't produced much for mainstream consumption in the past decade. But his "Spider-Man: Fever" miniseries is one of my favorite books of the year, and his work with Matt Fraction on "Who Won't Wield the Shield" was a giddy blend of Ditko, Nixon, and old-school Peter Milligan. McCarthy's always someone worth paying attention to, so, yes, his contribution to "House of Mystery" #27 is certainly worth a look, even if it's less amazing than his Marvel work from 2010.

In this issue McCarthy provides the full-color art on an eight-page Vietnam flashback story, in which one of the main characters, Mack, recounts his experiences learning to be a sorcerer in the bush. "I learned how to turn verbs into water and thoughts into lima beans," he narrates, over a McCarthy collage page. It's a weird war tale, to be sure, and it's an enchantingly odd one, but though it gives McCarthy a chance to maximize the psychedelic color scheme he seems to like, it's a little less energizing than what we saw in his earlier work this year. It's still great-looking stuff, and I'd love to see him draw every single page of every single issue of this comic, but I'm just trying to provide some context.

The rest of this issue, drawn by regular series artist Luca Rossi, shows that this series has changed plenty since last time I checked in. First, and most noticeably, the characters aren't in the house anymore, and the long-form mystery has blossomed into a full-on war with goblins, and witches, and time travel, and flying killer robots. Not what I expected to find at all, and though I don't know what's at stake and who all the players are, I know that my curiosity is piqued. I might just have to check out this series again, even if Brendan McCarthy isn't around each and every month.

More info:

Story by Matthew Sturges
Art by Luca Rossi, Jose Marzan Jr., Brendan McCarthy
Colors by Lee Loughridge, Brendan McCarthy
Letters by Todd Klein
Cover by Esao Andrews

Publisher:

[Zacharie]

Title: Dampyr (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Mauro Boselli and Maurizio Colombo (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Taliesin (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" The artwork is quite stark, being rendered in pen and ink only – but the starkness suits the material and the quality of the art is very good."
Review: Dampyr: Devil’s Son – review

The Blurb: Haunted by horrible nightmares, Harlan Draka wanders the countryside, shamelessly making money pretending to be a dampyr – half human/half vampire – ridding villages of what they naively believe are evil vampires. But when he is summoned by soldiers who are under attack by real vampires, Harlan learns the horrible truth: His nightmares are reality! Boselli and Colombo’s long-running European Dampyr saga begins here.

The Review: Dampyr was one of a few recommendations, left in a comment, and is an Italian comic book series. The series has been translated and released in paperback by IDW and so I picked up the first part.

The story is pretty much solidly centred around the blurb and I found it immediately familiar. Now whilst this is set in a war torn Eastern European country, pretty much in a contemporary timeframe from what I could gather, and the other story I am thinking of was set in a fantasy world, the base storyline between this and Barb and JC Hendee’s Dahmpyr are remarkably similar. Both feature fake Dampyrs who go from village to village selling their skills until they are drawn into a real situation and discover they really are dampyrs.

The Hendee’s book was 2003 but whilst the English translation was later than this the original Italian comic was released in 2000. Coincidence? I actually think it is but the similarity made the comic book seem familiar, like an old friend.



The lore in this suggests that a dampyr is a child born of a human mother and a vampire father. We actually see, in one of Harlan’s dreams, his birth and the fact that his mother died giving birth to him. He is led to his destiny by an old woman, who meets the soldiers, is killed and then appears to Harlan before vanishing off – the inference being she was something supernatural even when she met the soldiers.

The town they are trying to hold is deserted bar the vampires, who are all enslaved by a master vampire named Gorka, and after the soldiers are attacked they send for Harlan via the barrel of a gun. He discovers that he can sense vampires, that sunlight and a stake through the heart do destroy them as does his blood, which acts like acid when it comes into contact with vampiric skin.

The story, by the end of book 1, is still fairly simplistic. You can see that it is the foundation for the on-going series but it still reaches a satisfying conclusion in its own right. The artwork is quite stark, being rendered in pen and ink only – but the starkness suits the material and the quality of the art is very good.

More info:

Written by: Mauro Boselli and Maurizio Colombo
Translation by: Goran Marinic
Art by: Majo

Publisher:

[Zacharie]

Title: Revere: Revolution in Silver (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Edward Lavallee (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Todd Cash (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" Put away your spandex. Get out your flintlock. Go ahead and give this book a try!"
Review:

Just before I received this comic, I read Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter . In that book, history gets turned every slightly, so that readers can be treated to a vision of the Sixteenth President. It’s a fun game to play, which is evident by the flood of books related to this genre.

Comics, however, get to reveal Paul Revere’s secret story. His story proves equally fun.

Grant Bond’s artwork in Revere: Revolution in Silver is, for lack of a better word, wicked. His splash pages along with the sketchbook at the end of the book show an incredible range of style. He often crafted two-page splashes with incredible effect. The colors are mostly dark (red is used for blood and the British mainly). Lots of grays and blacks fill this book; however, it looks vibrant. He captures violence in a spectacular fashion, which fits perfectly in the confines of this blood graphic novel. The expressions on the characters faces capture emotion quite well. Essentially, Bond’s art does exactly what it needs to do.

Lavallee’s writing isn’t slacking either. He takes a healthy mix of what we know and what could have been. His writing shows a deep appreciation for 18th Century America as he works to capture the dialects and phrases that came from that period without making the book stuffy. Yes, it’s a time of stodgy old men with powdered wigs, but Lavallee also makes it a time of “shooting werewolves in the face.” It’s a clever and fun read. Revere is a tortured hero. He isn’t happy with what his lot becomes, but carries on his agenda with severe obsession (unlike Batman, he’ll take a kid out, which seems a new level of obsession).

There is a reason why I’ve gotten burnt out on comics. One can only read the same story so many times before it becomes unbelievable (yes, I’m suggesting that the X-Men are believable the first few times around . . . mostly). Revere doesn’t contribute to this burnout. This is fresh, blood snow for readers to trek through. Put away your spandex. Get out your flintlock. Go ahead and give this book a try (especially since it’s a graphic novel and so much more satisfying that way).

My scores for Revere: Revolution in Silver are:

Artwork: Five out of Five Ink blots (love the uberviolence)
Writing: Five out of Five Thought Balloons (clever settings/good characters)
Overall: Five out of Five (a strange mix that works thanks to two talented artists

More info:

Written by Edward Lavallee
Illustrated by Grant Bond

Publisher:

[Zacharie]

Title: Theodores Sturgeon's More Than Human (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Doug Moench (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: wiredweird (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" This intellectual story lacks the bang-pow and futuristic fantasy that seems easier to put pictures, but works anyway. And works well. "
Review:

Sturgeon was one of the most human, humane science fiction authors of his time. He was distinctive (if not unique) for his attention to the people in his stories and to their growth and change. The hardware was just decoration - never a focus of attention, except that its creation was a human act.

"More Than Human" is a speculation on what comes next in our species's development. It ponders psychic powers, and the unique relationships possible for people with those powers. MTH is set at the dawn of that era, though, when the new people have no older generation to teach them. They learn by making mistakes, sometimes tragic ones. In the end, though, they learn the one thing that will matter most to their future and to their future generations: maybe they're more than human, but they're still human.

This book is a 1970s rendering of a 1950s story, not just a look back in time but a look back into two times. The 50s part includes a fascination with psychiatry and clinical psychology (not that they made much distinction back then). The 70s part includes hair styles that remind me of Get Smart's Agent 99 and sideburns that remind me the disco era had yet to happen. This adaption and illustration succeed because of the two comic-world powerhouses (Moench and Nino) that took on this subtle story, with the approval and help of Sturgeon himself. Even Preiss, the publisher, displays some surprise at its success - this intellectual story lacks the bang-pow and futuristic fantasy that seems easier to put pictures, but works anyway. And works well.

More info:

Adapted by Doug Moench
Illustrated by Alex Nino

Publisher:

[Zacharie]

Title: Thor: Spotlight (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): John Rhett Thomas (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: atomicavenue (Review 1) and wowcabbage (Review 2) (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" This is one SPOTLIGHT you don’t want to miss!"
Review:

Review 1 - We Are Family: The Spotlight Interview With Matt Fraction; Yggdrasil Unplugged: A Guide to the Nine Worlds; Herc vs. the Hammer; Abnett/Lanning on Iron Man/Thor; Have At Thee, Gillen!; Thor: Bringing The Storm For Kids!; Robert Rodi: For Asgard!; From Dark Gods to the Death of Odin: Dan Jurgens’ Thor; Those Who Would Be Thor: Beta Ray Bill & Thunderstrike

Review 2 - Written by JOHN RHETT THOMAS With the hallowed halls of Asgard opening to moviegoers in May 2011, THOR SPOTLIGHT will showcase all that's great and good about Marvel's hammer-wielding God of Thunder! With behind-the-scenes looks at the latest and greatest four-color runs by J. Michael Straczynski, Kieron Gillen, and the titanic tandem of Matt Fraction and Pasqual Ferry taking the lead, we'll also cast our gaze back in time at the greatest storylines and characters of tales past. And with insights into the much-anticipated movie -directed by Kenneth Branagh; and starring Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins and Chris Hemsworth - this is one SPOTLIGHT you don't want to miss!

More info:

Writer: John Rhett Thomas
Artists: Chris Arrant, Mike Conroy, Robert Greenberger, Jess Harrold, Dana Perkins, Dugan Trodglen

Publisher:

[Zacharie]

Title: Political Power: Bill O’Reilly (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Jerome Maida (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Beyonder (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" Bill O’Reilly is your angry Republican conservative libertarian History teacher on steroids- on a national spotlight."
Review:

This independent comic book is brought to you by the publishing company Bluewater Comics, and is written by Jerome Maida and drawn by Aleksandar Bozic . It is the comic book biography of America’s most popular TV talk show host, Bill O’Reilly . Aleksandar Bozic ’s artwork doesn’t stand out. Even though Bluewater has the niche for political biographies, IDW Publishing does a better job with overall production with biographies (see my Obama comic and McCain comic review).

Too many pages in Political Power: Bill O’Reilly are spent on interviews that are easily accessible on YouTube (Bill O’Reilly vs Geraldo Rivera, Bill O’Reilly vs Barney Frank, and Bill O’Reilly vs Al Sharpton). That’s probably because O’Reilly’s upbringing is very stable compared to someone like Glenn Beck .

OKAY. So what’s his comic book origin and motivation? Turns out he admits he was always a “jerk”- a smart aleck, hyper active, and controversial kid. His dad was known as a nice hard working cool guy in the neighborhood, but Bill O’Reilly was so bad sometimes that he routinely got the snot beat out of him. He was afraid of his dad.

Bill O’Reilly’s main influence was his dad- a depression era, WWII-era, thrifty, frugal, family oriented, middle class, white, All-American who had a bunch of opinions about society. Ironically, although Bill had issues with his dad, he pretty much modeled his entire political view and work ethic after his old man. Bill’s background comes from New Jersey and Long Island, New York.

Bill was taught that since money was scarce, he had to work for everything on his own, no matter how much he was taunted by his classmates for not having good sports equipment and clothes. Bill was awfully competitive with his classmates and friends.



Besides his dad’s spartan influence, the number one aspect in Bill’s upbringing that drove him to become the #1 political personality on television was the fact that he was bullied. Yes, the bullied later became the bully. The victim became the aggressor.

Is Bill O’Reilly a racist? Bill O’Reilly: Political Power says no- he actually related to blacks in school because they were marginalized just like he claimed he was for not being rich. He also would stick up for blacks because the other guys in his neighborhood would curse them out without even knowing them. However, because he doesn’t believe in affirmative action or have much sympathy for “the black movement” he comes off as a bigot. The reason that he doesn’t have much empathy with African Americans who cry injustice is because he thinks they should have his dad’s work ethic and stop complaining, and to get a job like Bill did.

Bill O’Reilly became a teacher (in fact, he reminds me of my Social Studies, History, Government, or Civics teachers from New York) but got bored. He became an accountant and realized he was becoming his dad. With the Viet Nam War claiming so many lives of people he knew he decided to live life to the fullest. Fear of death and fear of becoming his dad were key motivations. So he threw caution into the wind and took a risk in the broadcasting/entertainment industry. The comic book does not describe his rise to power, and therefore is weak in this regard.

ANYWAY, there you have it: Bill O’Reilly’s secret origin. I do have more respect for him than Glenn Beck only because he’s slightly more genuine and much more consistent with his belief system. He’s more intelligent and has a professional background in school and had real jobs. Off camera, Bill O’Reilly’s core being is pretty much what you see on TV, but he has a joker edge to him and can appreciate a good looking woman without feeling guilty about it. In other words, he’s a little more down to earth than Beck and much more straight shooting.

That doesn’t mean I like Bill O’Reilly or appreciate when he talks over guests or goes on a witchhunt. I think he’s a hypocrite for yelling at guests and acting unprofessional. I probably wouldn’t be friends with him if we were growing up together because he was too much of a hardass and talked too much. He’s the type of teenaged whom you would call “a smug dick”. He was way too much into girls at a young age, too, and we probably wouldn’t have gotten along well on the baseball field. Just sayin’ his comic book origin was more less frustrating to read than Beck’s. What they DO have in common is that their origins are awfully vanilla- most of their torments were in their own minds.

When push comes to shove Bill O’Reilly is your angry Republican conservative libertarian History teacher on steroids- on a national spotlight.

More info:

Published by Bluewater Comics
Written by Jerome Maida
Drawn by Aleksandar Bozic

Publisher:

[Zacharie]

Title: The Helm (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Jim Hardison (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: WITA (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" The Helm reads quickly, to my disappointment, but it does provide enjoyment and more than a few laughs."
Review:

You know how your mom would nag you to go with her to garage sales on muggy, summer mornings (or was that just me)? Most of the time you encounter space-consuming junk: ugly metal trinkets, clothes that went out of style ten years ago, and toys from the nineties (gotta love those naked trolls with bad hair). Nothing beats people trying to pawn their crap off onto you by means of a legitimate American event held by suburban families once or twice a year. But what if, hidden among all that useless paraphernalia, rested an ancient treasure that lends its chosen wearer superpowers? And what if that “ancient treasure” was a talking, angsty helm and its accidentally “chosen wearer” turned out to be an overweight nerd who just lost his job and his girlfriend and still lives in his mother’s basement? The Helm welcomes you home.

Matt Blurdy steps foot into the kind of realm World of Warcraft players long to experience first-hand, but there are plenty of other subtle geek references to swing a broadsword at as the four-issue mini-series plays with the standard conventions of fantasy. The humorous, back-and-forth quips between Blurdy and the Helm remind me of Nova, only with a self-conscious, more amusing edge. When Matt first notices the Helm calling to him, he puts it on only to hear the voice of “Mr. Helmet” saying it has made a mistake. Of course, just like any of us would do in that situation, Matt wears the Helm anyway.

Accepting the role of the “Valhalladrim”—a warrior destined to protect humanity from the forces of evil—Matt starts to get his life together, embarking on a valiant quest to improve his health, move out of his mom’s basement, and most importantly, win back the heart of his “lady love.”

The Helm reads quickly, to my disappointment, but it does provide enjoyment and more than a few laughs. The story succeeds at being lighthearted, but the plot falls short on any real sense of believability. Real consequences evade the hero, who unsteadily balances between a man-boy living in a fantasy world and a relatively normal guy who happens to stumble across a cool helmet. The ending feels lackluster and awkwardly resolved, and I was finding it difficult to swallow the alleged importance of Blurdy’s battles against “evil.”

On a more positive note, The Helm froths rich as a surprising concoction of fantasy, and all too often the comic is ridiculous in a really good way. And despite the way it ends, The Helm could either be about a dangerous man plagued with delusions of grandeur or a guy who received a lucky break. Either way, there’s entertainment galore.

More info:

Writer: Jim Hardison
Penciller: Bart Sears
Inker: Randy Elliott
Colorist: Dan Jackson
Genre: Action/Adventure, Humor
Features: 3 Reviews

Publisher: