Smoke and Mirrors #3
Script by Mike Costa
Art by Ryan Browne
Illusions by Jon Armstrong
Letters by Neil Uyetake
Color Assists by Aaron Daly
Covers by Ryan Browne, Francesco Francavilla
IDW Publishing
Release Date: May 23, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

Imagine, if you will, a world where magic is not just present, but is the primary means by which things are accomplished. Spells are used to make cars move, light up homes, and do pretty much everything for everyone. And like the oil companies of today, this world has its own businesses that enjoy the benefits of being on top and have no interest in changing the status quo. Smoke and Mirrors #3 gives us a bit of insight into the life of someone ripped from our world and suddenly dropped into this other, more magical, one.

Terry Ward is that tragic individual. A stage magician by trade, he is flabbergasted by the way things function in this new place. But as any good performer does, he manages to quickly adapt to the environment and begins to ply his trade. He spends his days in an out of the way marketplace pandering to the crowds. Things that we take for granted, such as the cup and ball trick or hidden coins, are wondrous to these strangers. Earning just enough to stay alive, he spends his time trying to stay under the radar, so to speak. That is, until a young boy named Ethan sees him perform [...]

The Magdalena #12
Written by Ron Marz
Pencils by Nelson Blake II and David Marquez
Inks by Sal Regla and David Marquez
Colors by Dave McCaig
Letters by Troy Peteri
Cover by Nelson Blake II, Sal Regla and Dave McCaig
Top Cow Productions
Release Date: May 23, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

I’m a sucker for a strong, badass heroine. I’m not talking some woman that is half-dressed and somehow managing to pose with her boobs and bum in full effect (though, as a pre-teen, that might have been the case, just sayin’). I’m talking about a well written, driven character that shows purpose in her actions and is in it for the long haul. Well, The Magdalena #12 gives us just such a person.

Patience is, for all intents and purposes, not a big fan of the church with which she is so deeply affiliated. They have lied and betrayed her and her friends many times over. But as she is the official bearer of the Spear of Destiny, she is sort of stuck with them to some extent. She is also discovering that not everyone in the church follows blindly, there are others that continue to work for the greater good regardless of the intent behind the orders they are given. Kristof is one such person and one that she finds herself trusting in spite of her fears [...]

Elric: The Balance Lost #10
Elric created by Michael Moorcock
Written by Chris Roberson
Art by Francesco Biagini
Colors by Stephen Downer
Letters by Travis Lanham
Covers by Francesco Mattina, Dan Panosian
BOOM! Studios
BOOM! Studios
Release Date: May 23, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

With four of the incarnations of the Eternal Champion in one place, you would think they would be nearly unstoppable. But we learn very quickly in Elric: The Balance Lost #10 that as amazing as these men are, there are far greater powers in the multiverse. Far greater and far larger in fact.

We enter the issue gawking at the stature of the two Lost Gods, Kwll and Rhynn. Their game is responsible for the destruction of the balance and the aftershocks that are echoing through the worlds. While some have come under the sway of Law, many have embraced chaos in it’s raw form. Our heroes (and anti-heroes) are trying to restore the balance and seek an audience with these powerful beings. Things, as they are wont to do, go horribly awry [...]

7 Below
Blu-ray | DVD
Directed by Kevin Carraway
Written by Kevin Carraway, Lawrence Sara
Starring Val Kilmer, Ving Rhames and Luke Goss
ARC Entertainment
Release Date: April 17, 2012

You know how your mother always said that if you don’t have anything nice to say then you shouldn’t say anything at all? Well, screw that. This movie was so utterly ridiculous that I cannot help but try to warn you off before you spend your hard earned cash on it or worse yet, actually watch it. I did manage to entertain my wife while I watched it, though. Mostly by my throwing my headphones off my head in disgust. 7 Below, indeed…this title is likely to represent the watcher’s IQ after having viewed it. I really do feel like I lost at least that many points after having viewed suffered through ninety minutes of this.

Imagine a van full of strangers. Okay, well, a van with two brothers, a married couple and two others…but whatever. Anyway, they are on their way to a resort and after a seemingly meaningless pit stop in a podunk town, a few of them start having odd hallucinations. One of which causes the van to wreck and strands them on the side of the road. Luckily, Jack (Ving Rhames) is driving by and gives them a ride back to his place. He rushes them all into his pickup, though I am unsure how all these people got into a single cab truck. His reasoning for hurrying: a “storm is coming.” He says it so many times in the beginning of the film that I keep envisioning the original ads for Game of Thrones before the first season started. I even walked around the house repeating it, much to my wife’s chagrin. But she’s a good sport, she kept it alive for the rest of the night mainly because [...]

Alabaster: Wolves #1
Written by Caitlin R. Kiernan
Art and Letters by Steve Lieber
Colors by Rachelle Rosenberg
Covers by Greg Ruth, Michael Avon Oeming
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: April 11, 2012
Cover Price: $3.50

As luck would have it, I just randomly chose some of the comics up for review this week. And I scored with this one, let me tell you. I read this and loved every moment of it. Alabaster: Wolves #1 stands out from the average comic book in a multitude of ways.

Caitlin R. Kiernan‘s protagonist, Dancy Flammarion, is a remarkable character in that she is both an atypical teenager and a complete badass. Backed by one of the creepiest looking angels ever, she is a dangerous slayer of all things evil. Her no nonsense attitude and inability to back down from a fight makes her a very deadly opponent, indeed. Add to that her albino skin and total disregard for niceties and you get one of the best anti-heroes I have ever seen or read [...]

Archeologists Of Shadows: The Resistance
Created by Lara Fuentes & Patricio Clarey
Written by Lara Fuentes
Art by Patricio Clarey
Septagon Studios
Release Date: December 14, 2011
Cover Price: $0.99

Okay, I’m a bit late to the party with this one. I’m like the guy that shows up with a six pack of Shiner after getting off work late, only to find everyone has finished drinking. That said, the symbiosis of illustration and prose in Archeologists Of Shadows: The Resistance was astounding! I can only sit here, stunned and amazed.

Imagine a world where all things organic are being mechanized. People, animals, bugs…everything. Our protagonists, Baltimo211447w and Alix1739413x (known as files, not people), are unwilling to continue the process that is converting their world to machines. Resistance is futile or so they are told (Yeah, I used a Star Trek/Borg reference, get over it). They are offered a chance to escape this living nightmare and they take it. This is the beginning of our adventure and we are completely submerged into a beautifully rendered (both in words and art) story [...]

Smoke And Mirrors #1
Script by Mike Costa
Art by Ryan Browne
Illusions by Jon Armstrong
Letters by Robbie Robbins
Color Assists by Aaron Daly
Covers by Ryan Browne, Fiona Staples
IDW Publishing
Release Date: March 21, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

Who needs electricity when you can have magic?! The first few pages of Smoke And Mirrors #1 takes everyday knowledge and turns it upside down. Suddenly, science is pointless and magical charms are all the rage! But is something more sinister going on here? The game is afoot!

We open to see the spokesman for The Trade Circle giving a speech to a visiting class of children. It enables the reader to become quickly oriented into this altered world that exists with magic as its primary power source. The brief explanation jump starts the story and we watch as one of the students, Ethan, rocks the boat, so to speak. Prying too deeply into the business of The Trade Circle, he quickly finds himself in trouble. But it also ignites the spark that all children have, the spark of curiosity [...]

Angel & Faith #8
Executive Producer: Joss Whedon
Script by Christos Gage
Art by Rebekah Isaacs
Colors by Dan Jackson
Letters by Richard Starkings and Comicraft’s Jimmy Betancourt
Covers by Steve Morris, Rebekah Isaacs with Dan Jackson
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: March 28, 2012
Cover Price: $2.99

Geez… miss a couple of months of a comic book series and everything is different. Lots of introspection in this issue leads me to believe I need to go get the missing comics and play catch up. Sure, Faith is still leading the slayers around but she seems to have her hands full at it.

What makes a slayer turn on one of her sisters? It seems guilt does. Though they seemed well matched at first, Faith gains the upper hand and disarms her fellow slayer. A very sensitive Faith gives the other girl some rather helpful advice but allows her to deal with the pain in her own way, though not as she would have her do [...]

A Game Of Thrones #6
Based on the novel by George R.R. Martin
Adapted by Daniel Abraham
Art by Tommy Patterson
Colors by Ivan Nunes
Letters by Marshall Dillon
Cover by Mike S. Miller
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: February 29, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

This month in A Game Of Thrones #6 we deal mainly with interpersonal relationships between the characters, helping to feed the already twisting plots. Allies are not always to be trusted, nor are enemies always the most dangerous. George R.R. Martin‘s debut novel is brought to the comic reader in breathtaking fashion.

We begin by seeing Jon Snow humiliating one of his “brothers” of the Night’s Watch. Not his finest hour nor an intelligent move on his part. Luckily, he quickly sees the folly of his ways, just as his father, Eddard Stark, knows that being hundreds of leagues away in King’s Landing is perilous on multiple levels. Surprisingly, he discovers his wife is nearby and being hidden in a most unusual place. Again, not everything is as it seems [...]

Charismagic #5
Created & Written by Vince Hernandez
Character Designs & Illustrations by Khary Randolph
Additional Pencil Assists by Lori Hanson
Colors by Emilio Lopez
Letters by Josh Reed
Covers by Khary Randolph & Emilio Lopez, Siya Oum, and Nicola Hwang
Aspen Comics
Release Date: March 7, 2012
Cover Price: $3.50

One thing you can always expect from Aspen Comics is that they will be visually appealing. Charismagic #5 is no exception that rule, not on any level. I have never read nor reviewed any other issues in this series, but it definitely looks like an Aspen book and one that would have pleased the founder, Michael Turner (R.I.P.).

In the sky above Costa Rica, we find Samsun doing battle with a phoenix (one of the Guardians of the wizard Kon). We quickly move to see Hank, our hero, being directed by Sudana to focus his magical powers. After a small, but meaningful, mistake he finds that his abilities are far beyond anything he had ever imagined. Sparkles and the Guardians make their way towards the Temple, meeting up with Hank and Sudana on the way [...]

The Magdalena #11
Written by Ron Marz
Pencils by Nelson Blake II and David Marquez
Inks by Sal Regla and David Marquez
Color by Dave McCaig
Letters by Troy Peteri
Cover by Nelson Blake II, Sal Regla and Dave McCaig
Top Cow Productions, Inc.
Release Date: March 7, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

I have been a fan of Top Cow comics for years, unfortunately I have never had the chance to read this series before. Lucky for me, though, Dave3 sent the first ten issues to catch me up for The Magdalena #11. Like most comics from this company, it rocks! Plus, in this issue, we have Sara Pezzini… you know, the freaking Witchblade!

Our story for this issue revolves around Patience (The Magdalena) and Kristof (a Vatican agent) searching for not only a piece of the one true Cross, but also for the freshly stolen Spear of Destiny. Knowing she needed help, Patience contacted Sara for assistance. Not just the bearer of the Witchblade, Sara is also a detective… and pretty handy to have around [...]

Vampirella Vs. Dracula #2
Written by Joe Harris
Art by Ivan Rodriguez
Colors by Adriano Lucas
Letters by Marshall Dillon
Cover by Joseph Michael Linsner
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: March 7, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

Ever wonder what would have happened if things were slightly different in the old tale of Dracula? Well, this series explores the concept of it all being a repetitive loop, one where things play out slightly different each time, with the characters sometimes being unaware of what is coming to pass. Add to this timeless tale a new entity, in the form of Vampirella, and you get some very different results. Vampirella Vs. Dracula #2 involves the meeting of the two vampires as well as some distinct changes to the plot [...]

Elric: The Balance Lost #9
Elric created by Michael Moorcock
Written by Chris Roberson
Art by Francesco Biagini
Colors by Stephen Downer
Letters by Travis Lanham
Covers by Francesco Mattina, Dan Panosian
Boom! Studios
Release Date: March 14, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

As you may know if you have read any of my other Elric reviews, I am a huge fan of the Eternal Champion books and comics. This month I got to review Elric: The Balance Lost #9 and it was a real treat. A major change from the majority of the previous comics, this issue explores some of the wonders and background of the multiverse as envisioned by Michael Moorcock.

We get to explore the different planes and concepts of inter-dimensional travel as seen by our heroes on the sentient ship Spammer Gain. Focusing mainly on information, this month we are given a tutorial on the different ways to travel between the worlds and the types of people able to do so [...]

House Of Night #5
Story by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
Script by Kent Dalian
Art by Joelle Jones and Eric Canete
Colors by Ryan Hill and Eric Canete
Letters by Nate Piekos of Blambot
Cover by Jenny Frison
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: March 14, 2012
Cover Price: $2.99

This month we get to see Zoey Redbird complete her initiation into the five elements in House Of Night #5. Her lesson for the last element, spirit, is one that holds a lot of meaning for her. Not everyone is able to survive the change from human to vampyre, and it takes four years of training to do so. We learn that the stress on their bodies and minds can take a toll.

Zoey spends this issue coming to terms with a choice she made prior to her training at the House of Night. Having imprinted on someone from her past, it seems only fitting that the story of Hippolyte and Herakles contained the same problem. Learning from the mistakes of vampyres past has aided Zoey several times and this is no exception [...]

Sherlock Holmes: Victorian Knights #2
Written by Ken Janssens
Art by Matthew Martin
Colors by Vladimir Popov
Letters by Bernie Lee
Bluewater Comics
Release Date: March 14, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

I have long been a fan of all things Holmesian, even the ridiculously overzealous films of the last few years. I’ve read everything I could get my hands on for decades and comics are no exception. It seems like Bluewater Comics is trying to build a library of literary figures and who better to add to that collection than the world famous consulting detective, Sherlock Holmes.

Sherlock Holmes: Victorian Knights #2 drops us into the plot right after Angela Farrell, a local “working girl” has been murdered. Much action ensues… We have a royal carriage being vandalized by local anti-monarchists, which turns out to be less than what it appears. Even the death of the prostitute is not what it seems. The twisting plot is definitely an homage to the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle [...]

Jim Butcher’s The Dresden Files: Fool Moon #5
Written by Jim Butcher and Mark Powers
Pencils by Chase Conley
Inks by Nick Nix and Chase Conley
Colors by Mohan
Letters by Bill Tortolini
Cover by Tyler Walpole
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: February 22, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

If there is trouble to get into, Harry Dresden will find it. This month in Jim Butcher’s The Dresden Files: Fool Moon #5, Harry most certainly manages to get caught right in the middle… as usual. One of the key action parts of this storyline (yes, it’s based on a book that I freaking LOVED!) takes place in this issue and Chicago’s only practicing wizard finds himself between a rock (not “The Rock,” as in Alcatraz, though the reference was intended) and a werewolf. Well, he tangles with a loup-garou at a police station, anyway [...]

Phoenix Rising
A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Novel
Paperback | Kindle
By Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris
HarperCollins Voyager
Release Date: April 26, 2011

You know how everyone says to never judge a book by its cover? Well, I did… and boy, was it worth it! I was intrigued by the title Phoenix Rising, or rather the subtitle — A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Novel — but was snared by the art on the front. Going in with an expectation of sexy, steampunk fantasy I was happily rewarded with an excellent introduction to the characters. Agents Braun and Books came to life immediately. Even better, they continued to grow slowly throughout the book keeping me interested in not just the plotline, but in the character development as well. As with any steampunk novel this book is full of mechanized gadgets, well described and alluring. I might perhaps be doing this book an injustice by labeling it so, as it does have all the earmarks of an excellent fantasy-mystery. That said, it was a well-written, highly entertaining romp [...]

Hack/Slash #13
Written by Tim Seeley
Art by Emilio Laiso
Colors by Carlos Badilla
Letters by Crank!
Edits by James Lowder
Covers by Tim Seeley & Allen Passalaqua and Ben Templesmith
Image Comics
Release Date: February 29, 2012
Cover Price: $3.50

I’ve been a Cassie Hack fan for quite some time, but Hack/Slash #13 is the first time I have had the chance to review the comic. I have long been impressed with Tim Seeley‘s writing and the way he manages to make every comic fun from start to finish. This issue was no exception, I thoroughly enjoyed the story (though I wish there was more Vlad in this one).

Kicking off a comic with velociraptors is an awesome way to begin a story [...]

John Saul’s The God Project #1
Story: John Saul
Written by David McIntee
Pencils by Federico De Luca
Letters by Warren Montgomery
Bluewater Comics
Release Date: February 22, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

John Saul’s The God Project #1 is the first comic adaptation of any of John Saul‘s work. As a mainstay in the horror genre, it is surprising that it has taken this long to see any of his work rendered in sequential art. While I haven’t read this particular book, I do know the author’s work fairly well and I was quite happy to be able to review this incarnation of one of his earlier works.

The story is a pretty standard one here at the beginning. Three teenagers at play and one disappears, the whole premise of the story hinges on finding the missing teen and the events that transpire during the initial search [...]

The Strange Case Of Mr. Hyde
Script by Cole Haddon
Art by M.S. Corley
Colors by Jim Campbell
Lettering by Richard Starkings and Comicraft
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: February 22, 2012
Cover Price: $14.99

I absolutely love classic stories re-imagined and The Strange Case Of Mr. Hyde is better than most. Imagine, if you will, the immortal tale of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde mashed up and mixed with a little actual history. We get all new characters and plots that extend what Robert Louis Stevenson presented us over a century ago.

Our protagonist on this adventure is Detective Thomas Adye of Scotland Yard. He enters the story on the trail of Jack the Ripper, Victorian England’s most famous serial killer. We are quickly introduced to Dr. Jekyll, a not quite reformed murderer who is literally “off the sauce.” No longer just the brilliant scientist, he is now a man who battles his personal demons in public [...]