A crisp chill to the the breeze coming through the windows.  Leaves starting to yellow.  Can Halloween (aka The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year) be far behind?  ‘Til then, check out my reviews for some reading material to get you through ’til then!

Locke & Key – Alpha #1: (IDW) it’s official; Locke & Key is coming down to it’s final issue. This two part mini could be a mess of confusion for new readers, but it’s one nonstop slam bang of action and suspense for fans. There’s a new key in town, kiddies, and it looks like things may get better…. But right now there’s gonna be an epic fight between good and evil. Hill is wrapping up his story with a satisfying conclusion, and #2 will be a bittersweet end to all things at Keyhouse. (4 out of 5)

Hopeless, Maine #1: (Archaia) a beautiful issue; Tom Brown has a delicate touch with his artwork, and his pages look like watercolors brushed with sepia ink. The story – about a girl and a teenage boy who live in a very strange seaside town – is shaping up to be a gothic tale full of death, foreboding and strange little monsters. Check out the cover, all viney creatures and Little Shop of Horrors plant life. A beauty of a book, but I haven’t yet connected with the characters or the story. You’ve gotta give me something more than strange for strangeness’ sake. Still, it’s so wonderfully drawn I’m down for another issue. (3.5 out of 5)

Mars Attacks Judge Dredd #1: (IDW) oh, the artwork on the cover – check out the gleaming on the helmets! The glistening of the brains! The combination of John McCrea’s detailed art and Jay Fotos’ stunning color work is perfect. Good stuff. And so is this mash-up. Combining Judge Dredd and Mars Attacks sounds odd for about a second, but with Al Ewing at the storytelling reins, it flows together nicely. Dredd gets himself in real, real deep by the last page; will he be able to save himself? Uh, what do you think? Mars Attacks Judge Dredd looks like the start of a beautiful, violent friendship. (5 out of 5)

Grimm Fairy Tales presents Zombies The Cursed #3: (Zenescope) I haven’t been a fan of the GFT series. Too much unnecessary, stupid and pointless upskirts/slutty outfits/boob explosions. Yeah, there’s a market for that in this genre, but seriously. Gimme slutty, barely there outfits when the characters call for it, not just because a character happens to have a cootch. But with Zombies the Cursed, the bimbo has been dialed way back, letting the story take front and center. It’s a pity this was only a three part series, though this issue promises more of zombie hunter Elijah in the Unleashed storyline. Loved the cuts between “present day” and Elijah’s first meeting with Samantha and company. 3martstudio does well with coloring both worlds, keeping readers focused on story, and not trying to figure out where the action is. Good work. I’m hoping for more. (5 out of 5)

Thanos Rising #5: (Marvel) here it is, y’all, the final issue of the Thanos origin mini! And it’s a killer of an ending. *badum-ching* Seriously, Thanos goes back to Titan – the world where he was born – and obliterates it. No surprise, as we see the shell of that planet right in issue #1 (not to mention that been that’s a tentpole of Thanos’ story from early on). There’s one last showdown between Thanos and his father, not to mention a twist that had me wishing for someone to high five at the finish of this issue. A great story which has lot of Deep Thoughts readers can sink their teeth into. I have a feeling the revelations in this series with be discussed over and over by Marvel fans, and they should be. A near perfect origin mini. I’m sad to see it end. (5 out of 5)