Cluster #1
Boom! Studios
Words: Ed Brisson
Pictures: Damian Couceiro
Cluster is a bit like OZ meets Starship Troopers: The Movie, but with some Mad Max vibes and minus the silicone of Denise Richards (there’s just something all weird and plasticy about her).
The Ghost Fleet #1
Dark Horse
Words: Donny Cates
Pictures: Daniel Warren Johnson
When I was a kid, I got Diary of a Madman by Ozzy Osbourn (vinyl, of course) for Christmas, and it was ridiculously cool. The Ghost Fleet #1 is kind of like finding Diary of a Madman under the tree.
Usagi Yojimbo: Senso #4
Dark Horse
Words and Pictures:
Stan Sakai
Today we get a lesson in Story Telling 101: How It’s Done.
The Woods #5
Boom! Studios
Words: James Tynion IV
Pictures: Michael Dialynas
Mash-ups are kind of my jam. And The Woods is a wonderful mash-up of genres that works really well together. There’s a little Lord of the Flies with some Dungeons and Dragons with hints of The Breakfast Club with a hint of Star Gate. Plus, this issue acts as a decent jumping on point, with enough flashbacks to fill in some gaps for newbies, but also ads new info for folks who have been on board since issue #1.
Usagi Yojimbo: Senso #2
Dark Horse
Words:Stan Sakai
Pictures: Stan Sakai
This book brings out the kid in me. Granted, the kid in me is always eager and willing to come out and play, but this book is holding the front door open and shouting “Free Ice Cream!” I’m in.
Sundowners #1
Dark Horse Comics
Words: Tim Seeley
Pictures: Jim Terry
Colors: Sean Dove
They say you have to be crazy to put on a costume and fight crime. Who’s “They”? It doesn’t matter, trust me, They say it. Writer Tim Seeley says, “Wait a minute… What if they are? Crazy that is?” (Ok that’s not an actual quote from Tim Seeley, it’s more a rhetorical set up using an assumed quote for the purposes of this review. Play along.)
The Last Broadcast #4
Archaia/Boom! Studios
Words: Andre Sirangelo
Pictures: Gabriel Iumazark
Comics are a lot of things. Flights of fancy; tales of the fantastic; escapes from the mundane. But what all comics have in common is the medium of Story and Art. It’s this combination that is so appealing about this form of storytelling. The Last Broadcast is a fabulous example of story and art coming together to become greater than its individual parts.
Black Market #2
Boom! Studios
Words: Frank J. Barbiere
Pictures: Victor Santos
I’m not going to lie, I jumped into this book for two reasons… ok three reasons. 1) I liked the name, Black Market: 2) Frank J. Barbiere: 3) Victor Santos. I didn’t even know the first thing about this book, but the creators alone were enough to draw me in, and I’m glad I gave it a read.
BPRD Hell On Earth #122
The Broken Equation Part 1
Dark Horse
Words: Mike Mignola and John Arcudi
Pictures: Joe Querio
Colors: Dave Stewart
It’s the end of the world. Quite literally. Giant monsters of unknown origin are rampaging across the land. And the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense seems to be running thin on answers and defense at this point. And this makes as good an entry point for new readers as any. (Besides, it says so right on the front cover.)
Witchfinder: The Mysteries of Unland #3
Dark Horse
Words: Kim Newman and Maura McHugh
Pictures: Tyler Cook
Colors: Dave Stewart
Our hero, Sir Edward Grey, the Witchfinder, is now neck deep in the mysteries of Unland. In what started out as a murder investigation he felt was a bit beneath his skill set, Edward has found himself a bit too much in his element on this one. Newman and McHugh have developed, at least in my head, a very HP Lovecraftian tale reminiscent of Dagon.