Conan the Barbarian #4
Script by Brian Wood
Art by James Harren
Colors by Dave Steward
Letters by Richard Starkings and Comicraft
Cover by Massimo Carnevale
Dark Horse Comics

Release Date: May 16, 2012
Cover Price: $3.50

Conan the Barbarian #4 kicks off a brand new story arc, The Argos Deception. Conan is in a weird place in his young life. Used to the life of a barbarian, he now find himself young and in love and… a pirate. Can the barbarian be tamed? Has he found the love of his life? I have no clue, but right now, all signs point to “yes.”

Brian Wood‘s writing this issue is fantastic! The issue is a wonderful character study on Conan, and that was one thing that I never knew I wanted or needed, but after reading it, I’m sure glad that I got it [...]

Star Wars Omnibus: A Long Time Ago, Volume 5
Story by Jo Duffy, Archie Goodwin, Ann Nocenti, Randy Stradley
Pencils by Bart Blevins, Sal Buscema, Jaan Duursema, Ron Frenz, Bob McLeod, Cynthia Martin, Tom Palmer, Tony Salmons, Al Williamson
Inks by Sam de la Rosa, Steve Leialoha, Art Nichols, Tom Palmer, Whilce Portacio, Ken Steacy, Bob Wiacek, Al Williamson
Colors by J. Ferriter, Daina Graziunus, Michael Higgins, Elaine Lee, Glynis Oliver, Petra Scotese, Bob Sharen, M. Wrightson
Cover Art by Cynthia Martin, Art Nichols, Petra Scotese
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: February 26, 2012
Cover Price: $24.99

Lumiya, Dark Lady of the Sith! The Nagai! Zeltrons!

Does that make me seem too overexcited for this review?

Well then, go to buggery if it does, because my, oh, my, Star Wars Omnibus: A Long Time Ago, Volume 5 is an extraordinary trip down memory lane for those of us Star Wars fans old enough to remember the closing era of the Marvel Star Wars.

The fifth part of the A Long Time Ago Omnibus reprints the final series of issues originally released by Marvel Comics – from Issue #86 August 1984 to Issue #107 September 1986. The collection represents the closing period of Marvel’s Star Wars publication, in a post Return Of The Jedi era as the Expanded Universe (as it was during that time) would begin to wane. It would not be until 5 years later when Timothy Zahn would release Heir To The Empire, his first episode of The Thrawn Trilogy, that enthusiasm would return to the Expanded Universe with a new level of enthusiasm from fans old and new [...]

G.I. Joe #13
Written by Chuck Dixon
Art by Will Rosado
Colors by Romulo Farjado, Jr.
Letters by Neil Uyetake
Editors: John Barber & Carlos Guzman
Covers by Will Rosado & Tommy Lee Edwards
IDW Publishing
Release Date: May 9, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

G.I. Joe #13 is one of the best issues of the title that I’ve read in a while. The dust from the Cobra Command crossover has settled, and there’s a new status quo for the G.I. Joe team. One that’s not really all that great, actually. It’s nice to have the Joes being the underdogs for a change.

Writer Chuck Dixon has been running the G.I. Joe universe for quite some time now, and he and the audience, are quite comfortable with that, as he’s doing a great job. He consistently delivers fresh, easily accessible stories that are both entertaining and exciting. This issue is no exception. You have Cobra with the upper hand, the Joes behind the 8-ball and off on a mission that they really can’t afford. Literally. To make matters worse, the Joes have been exposed to the world at large. So, things are quite tense for America’s freedom fighters, as you can imagine. This issue is solid, action packed, and fun to read. Everything you want in an issue of G.I. Joe! [...]

Alabaster: Wolves #2
Written by Caitlín R. Kiernan

Art and Letters by Steve Lieber
Colors by Rachelle Rosenberg
Cover by Greg Ruth
Designer Amy Arendts
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: May 9, 2012
Cover Price: $3.50

Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a strange title pounced out of Dark Horse last month and leaped onto comic review sites (including this very one), causing critics to shout their approval for Alabastor: Wolves. People spoke of the art by Steve Lieber and the writing (the dialogue in particular) by Caitlín R. Kiernan as being strong and fresh and unique. What particularly piqued my interest, however, was just how vague folks were in describing what actually happens in the book. Most reviews I read went something like this: “It’s about a little Albino girl who speaks with a southern drawl, walking a wasteland filled with werewolves and other monsters, who talks to a bird and an angel who tells her who to kill. Oh, and she might be crazy.”

“Heck,” I thought, “I can describe a comic better then that.” [...]

The Waling Dead #97
Written by Robert Kirkman
Art by Charlie Adlard and Cliff Rathburn
Image Comics
Release Date: May 9, 2012
Cover Price: $2.99

The Walking Dead #97 is the first issue in the highly anticipated “Something To Fear” story arc, which was announced back in February. Death and destruction are coming for Rick and the survivors and writer Robert Kirkman has made it clear that this time, there is a lot to lose. For several issues now, Kirkman has been building to this moment through a series of brash decisions made by his protagonists. The coming storm is the result of those decisions and to quote Wyatt Earp, “You called down the thunder, well now you’ve got it.”

When people speak about The Walking Dead, inevitably someone will bring up the point that “it is not really about zombies.” There is definitely some truth to that statement, especially in light of the comic’s current events. Issue after issue, Rick and his gang have become increasingly desperate. It is obvious that after all the loss and death, that there would be a breaking point for the survivors. In the past few issues Kirkman has depicted this despair as Rick’s veiled grasp at optimism. With food running low and winter coming the survivors have been backed into a corner. As it is with most threatened animals, instead of finding a way to escape, they simply attack [...]

Batman Vol. 1: The Court of Owls
Written by Scott Snyder
Pencils by Greg Capullo
Inks by Jonathan Glapion
Colors by FCO
Letters by Richard Starkings and Comicraft’s Jimmy Betancourt
DC Comics
Release Date: May 9, 2012
Cover Price: $24.99

Batman: The Court of Owls is a deconstruction of Batman and Bruce Wayne’s vision of Gotham City. The DC Relaunch provided a landscape in which writers and artists had a way to completely recreate characters and the DC Universe as a whole into their vision. Scott Snyder doesn’t exactly do this. The Court of Owls works as both a perfect starting place for new readers to comics as well as experienced readers who have kept up through the Grant Morrison saga and Snyder’s work on Detective Comics. Characters created and explored during that time period are even featured in the opening pages of this book, so it’s not a title that completely ignores its past, which, whether on purpose or not, parallels the concept of this book. And this book is quite simply a masterpiece.

In Court of Owls, Scott Snyder tells a story of how the past of Gotham City, a past unbeknownst to The Batman, has come to haunt The Dark Knight in a way that no one, other than Snyder, could have ever imagined [...]

I’m Not A Plastic Bag
Story and Art by Rachel Hope Allison
Forward by Jeff Corwin
Edited by Rebecca Taylor
Design by Fawn Lau
Archaia Entertainment
Release Date: May 8, 2012
Cover Price: $19.95

I’ve read comics with some pretty strange protagonists before, but this one was definitely a first. The main character of I’m Not A Plastic Bag is a large island made entirely of garbage, based on an actual place — specifically, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a large spot in the Pacific Ocean which, due to currents, collects most oceanic debris. By debris I mostly mean trash that washes out to sea, water bottles, tires, plastic bags, etc., and by large I mean estimated to be twice the size of Texas. So, very, very large.

Writer and artist Rachel Hope Allison‘s book is an odd and pretty ballet. This large, unruly mass of trash (loosely resembling Aqua Teen Hunger Forces‘ Meatwad) tries desperately to interact with the beautiful oceanic landscape it exists in, only to destroy whatever it touches, meanwhile getting bigger and bigger. There are touches of the Frankenstein monster here, which I suspect is what Allison was coyly referring to in the title. It’s almost entirely wordless with beautiful colors that tastefully know when to incorporate photography and mixes crazy layouts with lovely splash pages [...]

Frankenstein Alive, Alive! #1
Written by Steve Niles
Art by Bernie Wrightson
IDW Publishing
Release Date: May 9, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

Steve Niles is a master of horror comics. His ability to craft deeply frightening, personal horror stories is second to none. Niles is able to capture the darkest moments that any person can experience and reduce them to a conversation or a handful of panels. So, when it was announced that he would be working on a Frankenstein comic with IDW, it was not all that surprising. Frankenstein is just as synonymous to horror as Dracula or zombies. The shocking part of Niles’ Frankenstein comic, Frankenstein Alive, Alive #1 came from the content within the comic. Instead writing Frankenstein Alive, Alive #1 as a horror comic, Niles has infused this comic with a story about sorrow, despair, and the agony of being a monster [...]

Dark Shadows #5
Written by Mike Raicht
Art by Guiu Vilanova
Colors by Carlos Lopez
Letters by Troy Peteri
Cover by Francseco Francavilla
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: May 9, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

Dark Shadows #5 is very entertaining. In a lot of ways. You can take it seriously or not, but either way you’re going to enjoy it. It seems that main character Barnabas Collins doesn’t really WANT to be a vampire, which is interesting. I’m not an expert on vampires, but usually once people turn into them, they really seem to enjoy it.

Series writer Mike Raicht turns out a interesting story for this issue. While it’s fun for us, the reader, it’s no fun for any of the characters involved. There are a lot of what some people would call “soap opera” elements to comic story telling, but this title is a STRAIGHT-OUT soap opera, just with horror theme to it. It’s really nice to read a comic once in a while where there are NO super powers, no fights or super weapons, just good, solid drama and that’s what this comic is. Sure, there’s a vampire element to it, but Raicht really gets the reader invested in Barnabas Collins the MAN, not Barnabas Collins the VAMPIRE [...]

Super Corporate Heroes #1
Created by Miguel Guerra and Suzy Dias
Written by Suzy Dias and Miguel Guerra
Art by Miguel Guerra
Letters by Suzy Dias
7 Robots
Release Date: May 1, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99
Digital Edition: 99¢

With the Occupy protests coming out of hibernation on May Day and the election season swinging into high gear, the Super Corporate Heroes debut couldn’t have wished for better timing. This comic begins as a metaphor for the healthcare debates and quickly evolves into a satirical political commentary on the consequences of Social Darwinism.

The story kicks off with a man hanging on the ledge of a burning building. Through hokey inner dialogue, he wonders if he can survive the fall. But, thank goodness, help arrives in the form of The Shroud, who looks strikingly similar to Batman. Only The Shroud refuses to help the uninsured man until he purchases a rescue plan. They agree on the five rescue plan. By the end of the scene, the man is already fleeced out of three rescues [...]

By Lucid Crash

Dominique Laveau: Voodoo Child #1
Written by Selwyn Seyfu Hinds
Pencilled by Denys Cowan
Inked by John Floyd
Colored by Dave McCaig
Lettered by Clem Robins
Cover by Rafael Grampá
Cover Color by Dave Stewart
Vertigo Comics
Release date: March 21, 2012
Cover Price: $2.99

Marie Laveau and her immortal voodoo legacy are just as integral to the spirit of New Orleans as Mardi Gras or Jazz. Who better to invoke then to fight the demons of a city struggling to find itself, just months after the tragedies of Hurricane Katrina? Combining gritty social commentary with supernatural fables, with Dominique Laveau: Voodoo Child #1 writer Selwyn Seyfu Hinds introduces readers to a place where the werewolves, vampires, and voodoo courts may not be as frightening as the street thugs lurking around what seem to be every corner. Characterizations are a bit sparse, yet we know who the protagonist is and that she has fabulously weird supporting cast who leave us to wonder who the villain might be [...]

The Secret History of D. B. Cooper #1 and #2
Story and Art by Brian Churilla
Oni Press
Issue #1 Release Date: March 14, 2012
Issue #2 Release Date: April 18, 2012
Issue #1 Cover Price: $3.99
Issue #2 Cover Price: $3.99

Unexplained mysteries, no matter how radical or bizarre, have always been, to some extent, an obsessive interest of mine. Things like Roswell 1947 or The Zodiac Killer have fascinated me – both with the factual evidence available, and the speculative theories offered from both believers and questioners alike. Both examples cited have had their share of fictional representation in media, but the mystery of D. B. Cooper has yet to have a central role in stories… until now.

While some fans may protest that the television series Prison Break had the Cooper mystery involved, it was not the central focus of the story. Finally, the enigma has entered the universe of comic books in a starring role, with Oni Press’ The Secret History of D. B. Cooper, affording a wildly speculative adventure mixing science fiction with espionage and psychedelic overtones [...]

FUBAR-The Devil’s Dance Floor
Story and Art by Jeff McComsey
Cover and Pin Ups by Steve Becker
Fubar Press
Release Date: May 5, 2012 (In-Stores)
Release Date: April 17, 2012 (Digital Download)
Cover Price: Free!

I have to admit, at first the idea of reviewing a comic that will be coming out for free on Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) seemed odd to me. That is, until I realized just how many free-of-charge offerings will be up for grabs on FCBD. FUBAR: The Devil’s Dance Floor is one of those offerings, and with no price tag, this comic is a no-brainer when it comes to picking up comics on FCBD.

It is not stretch to say that the zombie genre has been done to “death” in comics. However, with the hordes of zombie comics that lurch their way onto shop shelves every week, there is at least one that stands above the rest. FUBAR: The Devil’s Dance Floor seems to intentionally go out of its way to avoid tired gross-out bits that are so commonly found in this type of comic, and instead focuses on an interesting story [...]

Star Wars Omnibus: The Other Sons Of Tatooine
Written by Jeremy Barlow, Mike W. Barr, Paul Chadwick, Michael A. Stackpole, Randy Stradley, Rob Williams
Art by Brandon Badeaux, Christian Dalla Vecchia, Gary Erskine, Davidé Fabbri, Wil Glass, Douglas Wheatley
Colors by Michael Atiyeh, Chris Chuckry, Neziti Domenico, Davidé Fabbri, Dave Nestelle

Cover Art by Kilian Plunkett and Brad Anderson
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: April 3, 2012
Cover Price: $24.99

There have been countless additions to the stories in the Expanded Star Wars Universe over the last couple of decades, and Dark Horse has long touted some of the finest comic stories of the galaxy far, far away. However, very few come along that have the power and potential of being so good that it could be conceivable to imagine a film or television version of the tale. The compendium represented in The Other Sons Of Tatooine is one of these rare pleasures, showcasing some of the exceptional storytelling focusing on Star Wars.

The conception behind The Other Sons Of Tatooine is simple: to focus on the characters from Tatooine other than Luke Skywalker who have had major impacts on the in-universe history of the saga. The first, an obvious selection to adapt, is Biggs Darklighter, first performed by Garrick Hagon in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. The second, a creation within the Expanded Universe, is Janek Sunber aka Tank – who does not appear in A New Hope, but is mentioned by Mark Hamill in the scene where the Lars Farm purchases the droids [...]

Dogs of Mars
Trade paperback
Story by Johnny Zito, Tony Trov and Christian Weiser
Art by Paul Maybury
Image Comics
Release Date: May 2, 2012
Cover Price: $15.99

Dogs of Mars is a comic rooted in restraint. Nearly every panel of this Sci-Fi horror comic is a detailed study in delicacy. Everything from relationships to brutal violence is explored in Dogs of Mars. Yet, none of it is fully exposed to us as readers. When many comics sprint from one extreme to the next, Dogs of Mars plants the first seeds of terror from page one. The result is a completely visceral experience that will leave you checking to make sure your doors and windows are locked.

Dogs of Mars has a pace and tone that should exist organically in this genre of comic yet rarely does. Writers Johnny Zito, Tony Trov, and Christian Weiser have crafted something that will genuinely make you uneasy. That sense of discomfort is in part due to the fact that the writers of this comic have done everything in their power to alienate the reader. Characters are far from home, on an uninhabitable planet and they are being hunted. These are not careful calculating aliens hunting the unfortunate astronauts either. These are rabid and vicious beasts with snapping jaws that will eviscerate everything that comes in their path [...]

Marksmen TPB
Story by David Baxter and Dave Elliott
Script by Dave Baxter
Art by Javier Aranda, Jessica Kholine and Garry Leach
Cover by Tomm Coker
Image Comics
Release Date: May 2, 2012
Cover Price: $15.99

There is a delicate balance between interjecting a message subtly into a story and becoming overly preachy. In some ways, a compelling story has to contain substance and a level of depth to justify itself to readers. On the other hand, when an author has his characters shout from a podium about a hot button issue, it can become tiresome very quickly. Throughout this entire comic, Marksmen walked that line between tactful narrative and evangelization. The creative team behind this comic is enormous, so I can see why some ideas may come off stronger than others. The problem is that, when you are dealing with a comic of this scope, a cohesive tone is paramount. Marksmen would be an incredible and fun comic, if only it would stop telling us what bad people we are [...]

Epic Kill #1 (of #5)
Written by Raffaele Ienco
Art by Raffaele Ienco
Image Comics
Release date: May 2, 2012
Cover Price: $2.99

Epic Kill, a five-issue miniseries from Image Comics, tells the story of a trained assassin named Song who doesn’t remember who she is or where she is. Song is living in a school for troubled girls, but doesn’t remember why she’s there and how she got there. Parts of her memory are slowly coming back to her and she remembers how to defend herself against a massive amount of armed men who want her dead. She also remembers her main objective: to assassinate the President.

Epic Kill #1 was one fun read. This first issue sets up the entire miniseries very nicely. I’m a fan of action films so I truly feel that Epic Kill will definitely bring the action [...]

Genetiks
Story and Layouts by Richard Marazano
Pencils and Inks by Jean-Michael Ponzio
Lettering by Fawn Lau
Script translation by Edward Gauvin
Archaia Entertainment
Release Date: May 2, 2012
Cover Price: $19.95

Genetiks is the story of Thomas Hale, an engineer at a powerful company that deals in the research and development of scientific innovation, primarily in the field of genetics. Hale submits his DNA code to Genetiks, his employer, as a way of accepting his life as an engineer for a large firm, and when it’s his DNA code that finally gets cracked, he’s more than happy to give his life to the company. Things starting shaking up, though, when Hale starts having violent and disturbing flashes of hallucinations or memories which leads him to question his company’s motivations. Rightly so, as what they are up to is not for the faint of heart. While the concept and story of Genetiks are highly intriguing, I was not in love with the final product [...]

Mind The Gap #1
Written by Jim McCann
Art by Rodin Esquejo & Sonia Oback
Letters by Dave Lanphear
Image Comics
Release date: May 2, 2012
Cover Price: $2.99

Mind The Gap, an ongoing comic from Image Comics, is a story about a girl named Elle who is brutally assaulted and sequentially ends up in the hospital in a coma. As family and friends come to Elle’s aid, Elle’s assailant is still a mystery. Elle, still in a comatose state, is in some sort of limbo between the material world and death. She’s also trying to figure out who attacked her and meets a guide along her journey. The potential line of suspects could be anyone; from Elle’s close friends and family to people we haven’t even met yet [...]

The Lone Ranger #5
Written by Ande Parks
Art by Esteve Polls
Colors by Marcelo Pinto
Letters by Simon Bowland
Cover by Francesco Francavilla
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: May 2, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

The Lone Ranger #5 is what SEEMS to be the climax of the first story arc in this title, but in fact, there is one more chapter to go. I’m not happy that I have to wait a month, because quite frankly, I’m not sure how ANYONE would top this issue.

It’s no secret by now that I love this book and I love Ande Parks‘ writing. Not just here, his Green Hornet title is seriously underrated. But, back to this comic [...]