Pull! June 14th 2013

Posted on June 14, 2013 by Denise

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A new week.  A new crop o’ comics I’ve decided to read!  I love reading.  It’s fun-damental.

Crossed: Badlands #30: (Avatar) More insight into the mind of Smokey the “über-Crossed”. But at what price? “… is it possible for Armageddon to get worse?” Oh yeah it can. This arc is not only gory and gruesome, it’s compelling. What will our intrepid anthropologist go through to survive and learn about this disease? What indeed. Another brilliant issue. (4 out of 5)

Bedlam #7: (Image) Fillmore – aka the former Madder Red – is still trying to cling to sanity. Will working for the good guys be a help, or a hindrance? Meanwhile, the city is beginning to feel the workings of a new kind of crazy. This issue had me a little confused at the start, but believe me, you’re going to want to get your hands on #8 when it hits. ‘Cause there’s a humdinger of an ending in this issue. (3.5 out of 5)

6 Gun Gorilla #1: (Boom) Yes, this comic had me at it’s title.  I’m a sucker for the wacky.  But did it keep a’hold of me past that? Yep. Simon Spurrier & Jeff Stokely, did something unexpected; they bumped my obsession with the AT-AT down a peg.  I now want a FRIGGIN HUGE ATTACK TURTLE.  This is a fine mashup of western and sci-fi (what?  You know any real gorillas that own firearms?)  Stokley’s angular art gives the look a fresh spin, while Spurrier’s story teases out just enough to hook you.  Howdy.  (4 out of 5)

A1 #1: (Titan Comics) This is the start of what looks like a trilogy of unconnected tales. “Weirding Willows” — Dr. Moreau is Alice-in-Wonderland’s dad; Dr. Jekyll and the Wicked Witch of the West go to him for help…but what help could they possibly need?  “The Carpediem” — Agent Monday and his gang of day-of-the-week named superagents are fighting a satanic chef, but can you really ever defeat broccoli?   “Odyssey” — WWII wasn’t just fought for the lives of those on earth, but for their souls; but first, a vessel must be chosen…. A1 #1 feels rushed, and just when I started to get my bearings, another story comes along.  This could be the start of an awesome series, or just a mishmash of average.  I’m willing to bet on the former, at least for a few more issues. (3 out of 5)

The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys #1: (Dark Horse) I love Gerard Way, whether he’s fronting My Chemical Romance or putting out The Umbrella Academy issues.  So I looked forward to getting my grubby littles on Killjoys.   An all-powerful corporation in lieu of the government, androids addicted to drugs, in a crazy world, teenagers have to stand up and fight.  Way’s usual poetic prose is riveting but also a little confusing at this early stage of the game.  It’s like when I read Mona Lisa Overdrive before the other books in that trilogy.  That said, I’m digging the steampunk-meets-western-meets-Harajuku style vibe.  And that the little girl has a black cat as her pet/familiar/buddy? Score. (3.5 out of 5)

The Walking Dead #111: (Image) I’m with Carl; I still think that tiger is badass.  And while Our Gang is busy trying to figure out how to kick Negan’s worthless backside, Negan pays a visit to the Hilltop and gets chatty with Spencer.  Am I the only one who thinks that Kirkman should just wrap up this Saviors storyline already?  Or maybe it’s just that I want to see Negan suffer for his crimes (issue #100 in particular, hello!)  A dull issue saved by a bit of a twist at the end.  (3 out of 5)

Superman Unchained #1: (DC) Lookit me, reading a superhero comic!  Whee!  The lure of a first issue, along with a Scott Snyder story pretty much sealed the deal.  Bonus points for the Man of Steel opening week, which has me feeling a little cape-happy.  Unchained is fun that anyone can enjoy.  Ever seen a commercial for Smallville?  Then that’s all you really need to know here.  Lex Luthor is up to his old tricks, even though he’s doing “work release” from his SuperMax prison (which sounds counterintuitive, but I guess for the story I’ll roll with it.)  Superman gets to deliver a few good zingers here, including one aimed at Batman.  And then the last two pages really let you have it.  If you’re a Superman fan, you’ll wanna read this one.  Oh how I hope this kind of writing gets to any Justice League movie.  Y’all listening, DC?  (4 out of 5)

An American Vampire Special: The Long Road to Hell: (Vertigo) Rafael Albuquerque has been cranking out amazing artwork on American Vampire, and in this one-shot he’s also taking the lead on writing duties. And if Hell is any indication of what he’s stored up in that noggin, I’ll be front and center for more. This tale centers on Billy Bob and his fiancée Jolene, two small time grifters who end up in the middle of a war between two vampire covens. Add vamp hunter Travis Kidd and an orphan boy named Jasper to the mix, and this is one slam-bang of an issue. I love me some Scott Snyder stories, but I hope Albuquerque – whose art doesn’t suffer from his multitasking here – gets to drive the car again soon. (4.5 out of 5)

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Movie Review: Man of Steel

Posted on June 14, 2013 by Denise

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It’s been years (seven, if you’re counting) since the movies gave us a man in tights with a kryptonite allergy.  With the influx of superheroes lately, does the world need another Superman?  All I can say is comic-book-movie-guru Zack Snyder is bringing him to town, and I’m glad he’s back.  And that if this man of steel wanted to make a house call, I’d be just fine with that.  Cape optional.

But enough of my daydreaming; I’ve been…attuned to the acting talents (yes) of Henry Cavill since he was Lord Brandon on The Tudors.  Man of Steel is a gloriously fun joyride of a film that takes you from Krypton to Kansas.  For almost two and a half hours viewers will be treated to amazing glimpses of worlds beyond our ken, amazing acts of heroics and knock down/drag out fights for Earth’s very existence.  There’s a hell of a lot that Man of Steel covers, but what I was really hoping for amongst all that glorious spectacle with Superman was a bit more time with Clark the super-person.  Snyder, whose work on 300 and Watchmen showed that he can take tricky  material and boil it down to it’s essence, does good work here, bringing a real humanity (krypton-ity?) to Clark Kent. Hey, this is a Superman who gets ticked off if you mess with his Momma.  I like that.

Unfortunately, we don’t get to see more than passing glimpses of Clark’s humanity, because poor Clark gets so much thrown at him in this film that it’s tough to get to know anyone amid all the hullabaloo.  For you number junkies out there, Man of Steel is about 75% style and 25% substance, which is fantastic for a blockbuster but not for a film that promised a new look at a familiar face.  I do want to see this franchise take off, and there was enough in this film to earn the “new look” label, but I’m not sure if I want to see more of Clark/Superman because he’s been brilliantly drawn in the screenplay (by The Dark Knight’s David Goyer), or because I’m hoping the next film will give what’s really going on in that super-brain of his.

Trying to nutshell the plot of Man of Steel is a toughie, so why don’t I take the easy route and just say that it’s an origin tale.  Who is Clark Kent?  What drives him, and why?  Snyder puts these questions out there, but only does a so-so job answering them.  What he does do is give us more backstory on Krypton, including a real feeling for Clark/Kal-El’s biological parents, Jor-El and Faora-Ul.  There’s such a focus on Krypton that at times it feels like the Jor-El Show, something I’m sure Russell Crowe didn’t mind when he took the part.  Crowe does the character proud, mixing a bit of badassery in with the usual “oh, Krypton is doomed, we’ll just die” mentality often given to the character in other incarnations.  German actress Antje Traue (Pandorum) plays Faora-Ul, a leader in the Krypton government who sees her planet’s doom.  Oh, and Snyder does throw a bit of earth eco-consciousness our way; seems Krypton ceased to be because it was over-mined for natural resources, causing a fault in the planet’s core.  So be good to our planet, y’all.

Michael Shannon, with his extreme Caligula buzz cut and eyes that bore into your soul, is a fantastic Genral Zod.  And for once, I actually felt sorry for the guy; here’s someone who has been engineered to protect his home planet by any means necessary.  How can he possibly do anything else?  Shannon breathes life into what was a textbook baddie (though Terrence “Kneel Before ZOD!” Stamp did throw down in Superman II.)  Kevin Costner and Diane Lane play the Kents, casting that I liked but didn’t think would work…but it does.  I forgot who they are and believed their homey, Kansas farmbody characters.  Amy Adams plays Lois Lane, the reporter that figures out who he is, and eventually wins his heart.  Man of Steel makes Lois a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist who isn’t afraid to head out anywhere to get a story.  Of course, she’s got a heart of gold too, and Adams balances out the cardboard cut-out edges of this popular character and puts real emotion out there.  The fact that Adams and Cavill have amazing on-screen chemistry doesn’t hurt.

But it’s the guy in tights everyone’s dying to know about, amirite?  Henry Cavill does a fantastic job as Superman, with a combination of reserve, determination and humility that makes Superman feel like someone you could have a beer with, or at least talk to on the subway ride home.  I liked the Clark scenes better than the Superman ones in Man of Steel; Snyder does love the sweeping, backlit views of male beauty in capes.  And there’s plenty of that, even a scene in slow motion with Superman surrounded by clouds.  That scene is a bit too much (and could have easily been edited out without sacrificing anything.)   As the film progresses, one “climax” runs into another, and then another, seemingly ad infinitum.  By a little more than halfway in (that’s about an hour and a half, people) Man of Steel starts to feel like a popcorn endurance test.  But you do get your money’s worth, at least in time spent in-seat and amount of sheer spectacle.  Save your money and go see the regular 2D though; 3D isn’t necessary to fully enjoy Man of Steel, and that extra money could be better spent on goodies to see you through the 2 hours and 24 minutes.

Comic book fanboys/fangirls will enjoy the nods to canon, which include Lana Lane in an elementary school roll call, Lexcorp signs in Metropolis and other cool bits here and there (check out the news whenever a TV is shown).  Viewers hoping for an end credits “teaser” scene will be out of luck; though WB has more than hinted at their interest in a Justice League film ala Marvel’s The Avengers, nothing is in the pipeline.  Yet.  Man of Steel definitely whetted my appetite for more in the DC Universe, and it shows that this reboot/re-imagining is off to a good start.  As long as there’s more of the inner workings of Clark Kent in sequels, this has the makings of a series that can stand next to The Dark Knight and not feel like a wimp.

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Movie Review: This Is The End

Posted on June 12, 2013 by Denise

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Tired of apocalypse films yet?  No?  Me neither.  So even with the crop of pre/post/during the apocalypse films that have come our way, I’m up for more.  World War Z, for example.  But what happens to the idiots — the famous idiots — when it’s the end of the world?  I’ve gotta know these things.  So when This Is The End came around, I wanted to see if the film was as good as their trailer made it out to be.  And it is.  Because I love it when famous people make fun of their own celebrity.  There’s a ton of that in this film.  There’s also a ton of guest cameos, and plenty of raunchy, gross, and plain-old funny fun.

At one minute shy of two hours, This Is The End does get a little clunky at times.  And yes, there are a few “lookit the big peen!” moments that come off as embarrassingly childish rather than funny.  But at the end of it all, what’s left but to laugh your ass off?  Luckily, with This Is The End you’ll do just that.  I laughed so hard at the screening I attended that my aisle-buddy covered her ears to avoid getting a headache.  Yep.

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Pull! – June 9th 2013

Posted on June 9, 2013 by Denise

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The latest and greatest (or not-so-greatest) from my weekly bit of dipping into the comics pool.  The water’s fine y’all.

Regular Show #1: (Kaboom!) Like Cartoon Network?  Then I probably don’t even have to tell you how groovycool Regular Show #1 is.  For those of you that are new to the adventures of Mordecai the Blue Jay and Rigby racoon, just know that whatever they do, they do with grace and style.  Oh who am I kidding?  They’re a mess, and it’s awesome to watch.  In #1, they inadvertently start a mosh pit during an indie music fest, and figure out how to take a good picture on a roller coaster.  I love the feel of this issue, as if it’s playing live in my head.  No half-baked “based on a show” mess, Regular Show #1 is definitely a must-read for fans of the show, and for anyone who likes a little bit of weird-n-goofy. (4.5 out of 5)

Jim Balent’s Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose #80: (Broadsword Comics) “Great! The storm’s blowing my clothes away!” Poor Jon Webb.  If there’s any way to embarrass this poor bastard, it’s gonna happen.  In this installment of what I like to think of as “the great Wiccan comic that is totally obsessed with boobies”, Jon and Raven are naked and running away from thunderbolts.  Oh, and guess what, Jon?  Raven and Tarot have been scrying, and they found a few doozies in your future.  With all this skyclad-ness happening (the duo do manage to find their clothes at the end of the issue) it’s hard to remember what the storyline is.  Add a few grammatical errors in the lettering, and you’ve got a beautiful issue that has a lot of style but very little substance.  (3 out of 5)

Thanos Rising #3: (Marvel) As anyone who caught the end credits tidbit in The Avengers knows, alien baddie Thanos is definitely coming up in the world.  His origin story has been coming along nicely as a part of the Marvel Now! relaunch.  (I’m dying to get my hands on a copy of the “Deadpool fart pillow” variant cover of #1.  Ima frame that bitch.)  #3 continues the saga with the same amazing attention to detail and compelling storyline.  Here, Thanos has lost the taste for killing that drove his childhood experiments, and can’t shake the love he has for his childhood companion that spurned him years ago. But he’ll soon realize you can’t shake who you are….  Jason Aaron has me completely hooked with his tale of a Titan searching for meaning in his life, and jaw-droppingly beautiful drawings by Simone Bianchi bring it all to glorious, bloody life.  Pity there’s only two issues left in this fascinating miniseries. (4.5 out of 5)

Godzilla: Half-Century War: (IDW) I know, this isn’t a newbie.  But I’m only just getting my grubby little paws on a copy, and it’s absolutely amazing.  You like Kaiju?  Who doesn’t.  Well, you’ll find our favorite green radioactive beastie here, along with literally tons of his most popular adversaries, tied together by the story of Ota, a man who has witnessed (and fought) Godzilla for 50 years.  The art here is a great mix of Western and Manga, thanks to the talented pencils of James Stokoe (who is also the creator of this fabulous story, btw).  I love everything about this comic; the characters (my favorite: the AMF Mothra team — go hippies!), the alt-history spin, the shout-outs to Kaiju movie fans, the everything.  Mark my words; Godzilla: Half-Century War will be on comic fans shelves right next to Watchmen and The Killing Joke.  Seriously, if you don’t already have this in your library run — do not walk — to your local comic book store & grab it off the shelf.  (5 out of 5)

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World War Z’s London premiere with Muse. Two great tastes…?

Posted on June 4, 2013 by Denise

Y’all know I love zombies. I also love Muse. Yes, I love their new album too, even though it’s a bit of a departure from their last one. (Hello, Panic Station — on constant replay in my gym iPod mix.)  So when I heard that Muse was giving a concert after the World Premiere of World War Z?  I drooled.  No lie.

The crop of reviews have been mixed about the film, which probably means that it’s gonna be a fun blockbuster.  I’m a reviewer, so I’m well aware that folks pour their souls into their reviews.  But I also know that most folks review with a skilled eye.  I review with a sense of joy (read: like a 5-year-old.)  Plus, zombies y’all!

Ahem.  Anyway, back to the London premiere.  Wish I coulda been there.  Not only because I’m dying to check out WWZ, but add a live concert by a decent band   that I actually really like?  Mmmm.

Alrighty, to the pictures!  Clicky for the full rez image!

Oh, and World War Z opens in theaters June 21st.  Like you didn’t know that already.

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Crisis Zero: YouTube + World War Z = the next wave of movie advertising

Posted on June 1, 2013 by Denise

I’m really, really loving the Crisis Zero webpage.  It’s a fun way to track the zombie horde, and with the strange goings on around the world…oh, okay.  Crisis Zero is a website that preps viewers for the upcoming zombie horde in World War Z.

But have you seen the YouTube channel?  Have you?  Huh?  Because it’s a whole lot of fun.  Small clips of “real people” going through what seems to be normal activities…but with an unnerving bit of over-caution on the part of authorities.  Check out the flight announcement:

Nauseous? Flushed? I’m like that every time I fly. And just in case you’re thinking that the problems in WWZ are all in their heads….

I absolutely love the way WWZ has taken the idea of a “sister site” and fashioned an entire YouTube channel with “real clips” of the outbreak. Which makes me lust after this movie even more. It’ll be interesting to see if this style of PR catches on with other films. I’d love to see this kind of advertising for the Hunger Games films. Just sayin’.

Thank you for the groovy, World War Z peeps.

 

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Pull! May 31st, 2013

Posted on May 31, 2013 by Denise

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Here’s this week’s list of awesome. Awesomely good or bad, it’s better than working for a living. Right? Right.

The Eighth Seal #2: (Thrillbent Web comic) Things are getting shaky for the First Lady, and I’m not talking aphids in the rose garden. When we last saw her, she was trying to keep the horrible, violent images out of her brain with the help of shrink extraordinaire Dr. West. But now it looks like these visions are starting to literally break through to her real life. And the monster she sees seems to have a taste for her husband, with the teaser image for issue #3 really kicking things into high gear. If you’re not reading this, you really should. And spring for the Comixology version; the concept art is a great way to see how this comic merges Western pencils and old school horror Manga. (Ripped off from my monthly Ghastly Awards Pick for May)

The Wake #1: (Vertigo) Two words: Scott Snyder. The Wake feels like 20,000 Leagues Under WTF. But Snyder has built a ton of cliffhangers worth following. Dr. Archer, a woman who happens to be an expert on whale sounds but got booted from NOAA anyway, is tapped to assist on an expedition that’s super top-secret. And when she starts to figure out why, it really starts to get freaky, with cavemen, undersea laboratories and what looks like The Creature From The Black Lagoon. The jury isn’t in on my subscribing to this, but so far I definitely want to continue the ride.

Clive Barker’s ‘Next Testament’ #1: (Boom) You had me at Clive Barker and Mark Millar y’all. Next Testament is a crazy fever-dream, but it’s got Haemi Jang delivering the gorgeous art (though I do kinda wish that Clive himself had at least drawn the cover…well, maybe in a later issue) that washes over you while the tale unfolds. Pow! Bam! No, it’s not Batman. That’d be your brain as you read it. What’s going on? Not sure, but I damn sure wanna find out. “The world will rejoice. It will have no other option.” Tell me you don’t wanna read this. Yeah you do.

Crossed – Badlands #29: (Avatar) This shorter-story-arcs spinoff has proven to be just as good if not better than the original. Much like the arc in Badlands #19-20 (“Conquers All”) this new story arc by Christos Gage (Absolution) focuses on an Alpha Crossed nicknamed “Smokey” that seems to be able to keep his penchant for mayhem under check…so he can deliver maximum suffering later. It also focuses on a nerdy anthropologist grad turned high school teacher named Oliver and his ability to gauge how the Crossed operate. How will Oliver’s group of survivors fare with a Crossed that can reason? Since this arc is called “Quisling”, things aren’t exactly coming up roses. Great for readers, really sucky for those characters. Not like we’d expect anything else from this deliciously evil series.

X-Men v4 #1: (Marvel Now) The New 52 has competition from this new storyline from Marvel’s favorite gang of mutants. I know; how many versions of X-Men does anyone need? But with “Primer”, Writer Brian Wood has thrown a wrench into the war between wonder-bacteria John Sublime and the X-Men with the appearance of Sublime’s sister Arkea. Arkea is a powerful tech virus with a powerful hatred of her brother. So guess who needs help from our mutants? Newbies can pick up the X-Men action quickly, though knowledge of the basics is required. Should be an interesting face-off between brother and sister, not to mention plenty of hijinks when our gang has to make nice with one of their biggest Big Bads.

Amala’s Blade #2: (Dark Horse) This feels like a children’s version of Saga. Two warring groups can’t seem to get along; the Purifiers, who use steam, and the “Modifiers” who, well, modify themselves with technology. Amala, “the greatest assassin”, is tasked with killing Lady Strawbale, a high-ranking Purifier. Amala has help though, from the ghosts of those she’s killed. I know, I found that kind of strange too. I mean, if someone killed me, the last thing I’d do is hang around ghost-helping. Art and inking by Michael Dialynas feels like a teen comic with it’s rounded edges and hyper-stylized action. Since this is only a four part series, I’ll take this trip with Amala. But with a choppy story and a heroine that I can’t get a real grasp on, I wouldn’t stick around for more than that without some real slam-bang awesomeness comin’ around the bend.

King Conan #1: (Dark Horse) Conan is an old man now, but he’s far from feeble. #1 starts off with Conan visiting his first wife Zenobia’s tomb, and then recounting his deeds to a scribe for posterity. So, as you might expect, Conan tells the boy about how he met Zenobia. C’mon, this is Conan we’re talking about, it ain’t gonna be no wine and roses. In fact, things get dicey from the start, when Conan is poisoned just as a huge battle is about to begin. By Crom, this sounds interesting!

Morbius, The Living Vampire #5: (Marvel Now) An interesting blend of noir and vampire-ness, which is apt since Michael Morbius ain’t your typical vampire. And no, he doesn’t sparkle. Thank god. Trying to stay away from the humans that fuel his experiment-gone-awry need for blood, Morbius ends up becoming an unwitting, unusual hero. But a villain named the Rose may be pulling strings behind the scenes…. I’m not loving the revamp (hah) of Morbius, but it is definitely better than his old Count Dracula In Space outfit. Seriously Marvel; only a very small percentage of the world can carry off a Van Dyke without looking stupid (or douchey). In a world full of quality horror comics, my horror loving tuchas will need more to sink my own teeth into than what writer Joe Keatinge has going on right now. Then again Morbius has always been a villain/antihero rather than a horror comic star. So fans of the scary? Understand that and read if you dare. *bwahahahah*

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PULL! May 24th, 2013

Posted on May 26, 2013 by Denise

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Here with this week’s crop of stuff I’ve read.  The good, the bad, the ugly and the damn pretty. Yes, there are only two. But as I found out that my kitty had cancer & needed to be put down? This wasn’t a big “reading fun stuff” week. Hope springs for this coming week though….

Non-Humans #3: (Image) Well well well, a fine mess Detective Aimes has found himself in.  It’s bad enough that his son Todd is dating a Victoria’s Secret manequinn, but they’re building up a family.  And his partner Eden may be hiding something…or that could just be Aimes’ paranoia about sleeping with her.  The wild and crazy ride this series has taken readers on shows no signs of stopping now, and with this issue being #3 of 4, it’ll be interesting to see how this tale wraps up.  All I know is that I’m hooked.  Glen Brunswick has crafted a helluva tale, and Whilce Portacio brings it to awful, glorious life.

The Dream Merchant #1: (Image) Nathan Edmondson and Konstantin Novosadov have created a fairy tale-like world, but with a decidedly creepy turn.  Poor Winslow has been caught in a waking dream for most of his life; his dreams feel like reality, and his reality suffers as a result.  Institutionalized, he tries to make the best out of his strange situation, but one evening after a hypnotherapy session he’s visited by three menacing, hooded creatures.  He escapes the institution with Anne, a girl who works in the kitchen and who has been trying to help him by giving him books about dreams.  But can they outsmart the beings chasing them down, and why is Winslow being targeted?  A very promising start to this new series, with eerie, Phantom Tollbooth-esque illustrations by Novosadov.  Looking forward to seeing what Edmondson has in store….

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Are you ready for (zombie) Crisis Zero?

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Denise

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It’s always something. First your mortgage has been sold to another company. Then your kid has been suspended for flushing firecrackers down the toilet in the teacher’s lounge. Now it’s a zombie pandemic. What, you haven’t heard? Better check out the Crisis Zero website for information.

Okay fine; Crisis Zero is the latest marketing joint from our good buddies at World War Z. And I don’t care what anyone says, I’m really looking forward to this movie. I just hope it’s as good as the promos, and that there’s plenty of action (even if, as has been reported, there’s very little gore). Hey, I’m all about the thrills and chills. Like Stephen King said, the “gross out” is the last resort. Gimme a scare, and you’ve got me baby. You’ve got me.

And check out the CrisisZero2013 YouTube page.  The NZ survival tips are pretty awesome.

 

 

 

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Pull! – May 17th, 2013

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Denise

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A little taste of what I’ve been loving, what I’ve been hating, and what I’ve been apathetic about.  I promise I’ll try to make this a weekly thang….

Chin Music #1: Steve Niles starts out with a slam-bang of an opening, but with no exposition it’s a jumbled mess of Egypt, supernatural beings, skeletons and Prohibition gangsters.  It looks beautiful though, mess and all.  Here’s hoping #2 brings more information to what hints at a kickass tale.

Grimm Fairy Tales: Unleashed #1 (of 6): Sela and Liesel Van Helsing don the usual bimbo suits to fight a whole mess of baddies that have escaped from the banishment back in #0.  Gorgeous art and colors take some of the sting out of seeing so many unnecessary upskirt shots.  Bonus points for a Stephen King reference and a surprise battle pal, but it doesn’t save a wobbly, bloated start to this miniseries.  With Unleashed a jumping-off point for a blow-out expansion of the Grimm universe, here’s hoping #2 has less talky-talk about Old Magic and more monsters.

Ten Grand #1: A new series from Image’s “Joe’s Comics” label, and it looks like it could be a good one.  A blend of demons and noir; think of it as Harry Dresden meets Ghost Rider.  J. Michael Straczynski brings his A-game, and so does Ben Templesmith, with the watercolored edginess I’ve loved since 30 Days of Night here in all it’s gritty, raw splendor.  This is definitely a series to follow.

Ferals #14: Dale is still hunting the “man” who killed Pia.  But Thea — the last living woman who is carrying a hybrid wolf/werewolf — thinks that she’s going to be Dale’s new love, and she could help him just as much as he can help her.  Meanwhile, creepy government scientist Dr. Cherry is conducting creepy experiments, and over in Green Gorge, things between the townspeople and the government are about to get hairy (sorry.)  In other words, this is a kick-ass issue that has the new story arc looking like even more fun than the first one.  The art and coloring is still a bit basic (think early Bronze Age, with it’s bright colors and pre-realism basic style), but the story and the gore go a long way to making me give these quibbles a free pass.

Constantine #3: John is back in London, and it’s a blast watching how he reacts to re-entry.  But he’s got stuff to find and scores to settle, and he does it in his usual indomitable way.  I worried that the “New 52” rebranding would take the edge off of this character, but so far it looks like I needn’t have worried.  This is fast becoming my favorite new series.  Just do me a favor, DC; jettison the silly “Channel 52” segments that have been tacked onto each issue.  They’re out of place with this particular series, especially since many horror fans don’t follow superheroes.

Creepy #12: Ahh, a comic book that instructs and entertains.  This issue, I learned not to sleep on a grave, that you can catch anything with good bait, shooting horror movies in the Philippines can be easy if  you have the right contacts, never volunteer when your professor asks for help, and never, ever, decide to become a navigator.  So many different styles and stories, but in this issue each one delivers.  With all the sick, icky greatness in this issue, Lucky #13 is sure to be a ghoulish delight….

The Walking Dead #110: Yeah, I almost gave up on TWD at issue #100 too.  It broke my ragged little heart.  But I trusted that Kirkman had a vision for what was next, and so far the Negan storyline is feeling like The Governor Part Deux.  But I’m liking new character Ezekiel, and hello…TIGER!  Plus, it looks like Michonne may have a new reason to live?  A zombie-free issue, which is a bummer; all the strange machinations here3 seem forced, as if to draw out what will be coming because the writers themselves have no idea.  But hey, lookit the tiger!  Let’s hope #111 gets the crew back on track.

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