Doctor Who Classics, Series 4 #1
Written by Alan McKenzie
Original Art by John Ridgway
Colors by Charlie Kirchoff
Covers by John Ridgway and Charlie Kirchoff
IDW Publishing
Release Date: February 01, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

Talk about a blast from the past. Doctor Who Classics Series 4 #1 is a republication of the original Doctor Who comic book series as first released in Doctor Who Magazine. Younger fans of the original television series who have viewed the DVD releases may recall some special features dealing specifically with these comic strips.

Classics Series 4 undertakes the interesting era of the Colin Baker years. During his time as the sixth incarnation of the Doctor, the television series was under threat of cancellation, an ever-increasing strain on budget availability, and a rising dissatisfaction from many fans as their criticisms of the John Nathan-Turner showrunner years would reach their peak [...]

Archie Archives, Vol. 4
Art by Bill Vigoda and Various
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: January 25, 2012
Cover Price: $49.99

Archie Archives, Vol. 4 is a strangely fascinating page from the history book of the typical teenager from Riverdale. Reprinting issues of Archie and Pep Comics, from 1944 and 1945, this is the books’ very early years, long before Kevin Keller and KISS. But things are far from bland: the art is almost exclusively from Bill Vigoda, the real life brother of Abe Vigoda, best known as Sal Tessio from The Godfather films. Like I said, it’s a little strange.

In this volume we see the ingredients that make up an average Archie comic still swirling around, not yet fully settled. On the surface everything is still the same, the stories hit all the same beats: Archie goes on a date or gets a new job or starts a new hobby… and then things go wrong with hilarious results [...]

Conan the Barbarian #1
Script by Brian Wood
Art by Becky Cloonan
Colors by Dave Stewart
Letters by Richard Starkings and Comicraft
Covers by Massimo Carnevale and Becky Cloonan
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: February 8, 2012
Cover Price: $3.50

I’ve been looking forward to Conan the Barbarian #1 ever since it was announced. Why? Because with the announcement of the book’s creative team, it promised something different for a Conan comic, and happily, it delivers. Big time.

Fans have been begging for Dark Horse to adapt the classic Robert E. Howard Conan story Queen of the Black Coast for quite a while now, and that has to be tricky for writer Brian Wood. Thankfully, he more than delivers on this fan’s expectations [...]

Star Wars: Crimson Empire III – Empire Lost #4
Written by Mike Richardson and Randy Stradley
Pencils by Paul Gulacy
Colors by Michael Bartolo
Cover Art by Dave Dorman
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: February 08, 2012
Cover Price: $3.50

Now past the halfway mark, Star Wars: Crimson Empire III launches its acceleration to the incoming conclusion of the series. The fourth issue of Empire Lost finds Kir Kanos determined to stop the planned attack of Devian, warlord of a splinter element of the Imperial Remnant fixed on bringing both the New Republic and Grand Admiral Pellaeon’s Empire into his own demented grasp.

Empire Lost #4 kicks off in space, with a New Republic naval force under command of General Han Solo. We’re introduced to a subplot involving a character named Ndigo who is tasked with investigating the disappearance of the New Republic ship Endor, seen at the beginning of the first issue [...]

Too Much Coffee Man #2 Facsimile Edition
Written and illustrated by Shannon Wheeler
Boom! Studios
Release Date: January 25, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

At the center of Too Much Coffee Man #2 Facsimile Edition our hero faces off in a grueling gauntlet for survival against an exciting new villain to the bitter end.

But, really, that’s not what’s important at all. This is BOOM! Studios reprint of the original issues of Shannon Wheeler‘s cult classic which helped define small press early 90s comix, TMCM is a frumpy protagonist who’s drive involves coffee, loafing around, and not much else, while his nemesis is a Liefeld-parody named Cliche, and they throw old fashioned truisms at each other along with punches and bullets. It’s silly, enjoyable, and knows when to wrap up [...]

Key of Z #4
Written by Claudio Sanchez and Chondra Echert
Art by Aaron Kuder
Colors by Charlie Kirchoff
Letters by Johnny Lowe
Cover by Nathan Fox and Jeromy Cox
Evil Ink Comics/Boom! Studios
Release Date: January 25, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

I’ve read a lot of zombie-themed comic books, but I can honestly say that I’ve never read one quite like Key of Z, and I’m going to tell you right now, from the first issue to the last issue, this series is fantastic.

I’ve been following the creation of the series since 2010 when creators Claudio Sanchez and Chondra Echert first announced that they would be working on a zombie comic that would take place in New York City and encompass a lot of specifics from the area under the working title Subway Seriez, which is still used as the subtitle for Key of Z, as evidenced by the cover of issue three [...]

House Of Night #4
Story by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
Script by Kent Dalian
Art by Joelle Jones and Jonathan Case
Colors by Ryan Hill and Jonathan Case
Letters by Nate Piekos of Blambot
Cover by Jenny Frison
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: February 8, 2012
Cover Price: $2.99

We return to the story of Zoey Redbird, a fledgling vampyre attending the Tulsa House of Night and learning to control her newfound powers. House Of Night #4 addresses the issues of overconfidence and vanity. When Zoey accidentally destroys something sacred to her goddess, she decides to concentrate on repairing the damage done and learning from the experience [...]

Hoax Hunters #0
Story by Michael Moreci and Steve Seeley
Art by JM Ringuet
Inks by John Lucas
Cover by Steve Seeley
Image Comics
Release Date: March 21, 2012
Cover Price: $2.99

There’s a lot to be said about Hoax Hunters. I could easily fall into the comparrison trap. You know, the one where the guys in the comic book store says “It’s Buffy meets Scooby-Doo meets Mad Men!”, but I’m not a big fan of that. Things need to be judged and sold on their own merit. That said, this comic does take a few modern day pop culture staples, and turns them on their ears.

Writers Steve Seeley and Michael Moreci have taken something that I normally would gloss over on the comic racks and turned it into something that I can’t wait to read. Without going too deep into spoiler territory, the Hoax Hunters are a group that goes out and investigates, let’s just say, suspicious activities. [...]

Dark Horse Presents #8
Stories by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi, Evan Dorkin, Tony Puryear, Neal Adams, Howard Chaykin, Alan Gordon, Brian Wood, Martin Conaghan, Rich Johnston, M. J. Butler
Art by Duncan Fegredo, Jill Thompson, Tony Puryear, Neal Adams, Howard Chaykin, Thomas Yeates, Kristian Donaldson, Jimmy Broxton, Simon Rohrmüller, Mark Wheatley
Colors by Dave Stewart, Moose, Jesus Aburto, Thomas Yeates, Lori Almeida
Letters by Clem Robins, Jason Arthur, Ken Bruzenak, John Workman, Jared K. Fletcher, Jim Reddington
Creative Concepts by Tony Puryear, Erika Alexander, Robert Alexander, Thomas Yeates
Covers by Duncan Fegredo with Dave Stewart, Kristian Donaldson with Brian Wood
Back Cover and Spot Illustrations by Geof Darrow
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: February 1, 2012
Cover Price: $7.99

Dark Horse brings out their best and brightest talent for the 8th installment of their legendary anthology Dark Horse Presents. For anyone new to Dark Horse’s line of titles this anthology is a perfect jumping-on point. Dark Horse Presents #8 collects both new and old titles that accurately showcase the publisher’s diverse line of comics. Not every comic featured in the anthology is a hit, though. However, with stories from Mike Mignola and Brain Wood, Dark Horse Presents #8 is a collection worth picking up [...]

Doctor Who, Vol. 2 #14
Written by Joshua Hale Fialkov
Art by Matthew Dow Smith
Colors by Charlie Kirchoff
Lettering by Shawn Lee
Covers by Mark Buckingham, Charlie Kirchoff, and Matthew Dow Smith
IDW Publishing
Release Date: February 01, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

Doctor Who #14 is the second part of an ongoing escapade entitled As Time Goes By. As the title and cover art suggest, the story finds the Doctor along with companions Rory Williams and Amy Pond in Casablanca during World War II. The concept is clearly influenced by the celebrated film featuring Humphrey Bogart, with the exception that the Silurians have shown up to cause trouble [...]

The Lone Ranger #2
Written by Ande Parks
Art by Esteve Polls
Colors by Marcelo Pinto
Letters by Simon Bowland
Cover by Francesco Francavilla
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: February 1, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

In today’s comic book market, western comics are a hard sell. If you ask me, if more western comics were like The Lone Ranger #2, they wouldn’t be. In a time when every hero is almost a villain, and every villain is just a misunderstood victim, this book gives us a breath of fresh air — good guys vs. bad guys.

Writer Ande Parks really delivers in this issue. While this is the second chapter in the first arc of the series, it is, just like the first issue, basically a one and done, which is great [...]

Star Wars: Dawn Of The Jedi #0
Text by John Ostrander
Art by Jan Duursema
Cover Art by Rodolfo Migliari
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: Febuary 1, 2012
Cover Price: $3.50

“Your Guide to the Dawn Of The Jedi era of Star Wars: It is an era of legend, an era before the discovery of hyperspace travel, before the foundation of the Old Republic, and before the philosophies of the Jedi and the Sith were codified. This is a tale of a great and mythic society, established and nurtured by powers unthinkably ancient and mysterious, on a collision course with an empire founded on darkness and death. These are the true roots of both the Jedi and the Sith Orders . . . the dawn of the Jedi.”

Issue #0 of the brand new Star Wars comic series Dawn Of The Jedi is not really a comic book. Instead, it is more of a text overview and an artistic preview of what is to come – and there is a LOT in this new series that will break a lot of ground in the Star Wars mythos [...]

Usagi Yojimbo #143
Created, Written and Illustrated by Stan Sakai
Cover Colors by Stan Luth
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: January 25, 2012
Cover Price: $3.50

For going on 25 years Stan Sakai‘s Usagi Yojimbo has been taking its anthropomorphized rabbit Samurai protagonist on adventure after adventure through Edo-era Japan while maintaining a steady rhythm of excellence in both storytelling and cartooning. Usagi Yojimbo #143 is no exception.

We find our hero in a new town and quickly embroidered in a new exploit defending the poor and defenseless against the powerful and bullying. It’s pretty standard fare for many samurai stories, or westerns for that matter. Sakai, of course, makes it worth our while with his richly detailed recreation of feudal Japan [...]

Haunted City #2
Written by Chap Taylor and Peter Johnson
Art by Michael Ryan
Colors by Kelsey Shannon with Peter Steigerwald and Beth Sotelo
Letters by Josh Reed
Covers by Michael Ryan, Alex Konat, and Micah Gunnell
Aspen Comics
Release Date: February 1, 2012
Cover Price: $3.50

I wasn’t sure what to expect from Haunted City #2, but whatever it was, I didn’t find it. In fact, I didn’t find much of anything here. Writers Chap Taylor and Peter Johnson kind of fall short on this issue. Having never read the first issue I went in blind, and even though I read the recap page, I didn’t have any idea what the book I was reading was about. Fast forward to the end of the issue, I still don’t [...]

Green Hornet Annual #2
Written by Mark Rahner
Art by Ronan Cliquet
Colors by Impacto Studios
Letters by Marshall Dillon
Cover by Phil Hester
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: January 25, 2012
Cover Price: $4.99

When it comes to comics relaunches can be hit or miss, but a few years ago when Dynamite Entertainment released their new Green Hornet series I started reading it and instantly fell in love with it. Green Hornet Annual #2 is a great annual one-shot story that not only gets readers caught up on what has been going on, but it’s a great jumping-on point for new readers [...]

Conan Road of Kings #12
Written by Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz
Script by Roy Thomas
Pencils by Mike Hawthorne
Inks by John Lucas
Colors by Dan Jackson
Letters by Richard Starkings and Comicraft
Cover by Aleksi Briclot
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: January 18, 2012
Cover Price: $3.50

All good things must come to an end and Conan Road of Kings #12 is no exception. For the past year, we’ve had the good fortune of reading this great title, but sadly, this is the last issue. Now, Conan is not going away, it’s got another series with a different creative team coming up, and if they do half as good as this one, it’ll be amazing! [...]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #6
Written by Kevin Eastman & Tom Waltz
Script by Tom Waltz
Art by Dan Duncan
Colors by Ronda Pattinson
Letters by Shawn Lee
Covers by Dan Duncan, Kevin Eastman, and Rob Guillory
IDW Publishing
Release Date: January 25, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

Month after month, this book gets more entertaining and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #6 is no exception. You get everything you wanted in a Turtles comic, in spades.

I’m not sure how Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz split the writing chores, but they are doing a fantastic job on this book. There’s SO much going on, but the audience is never confused or overwhelmed. What impresses me most is that they’ve stuck to the characteristics of the Turtles, but yet, there’s a tangible tension at times between the four brothers [...]

Transformers: Robots in Disguise #1
Written by John Barber
Interior Art by Andrew Griffith
Cover by Marcelo Matere
Colors by Josh Perez
Letters By Shawn Lee
IDW Publishing
Release Date: January 25, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

Transformers: Robots in Disguise #1 is the second ongoing Transformers series that IDW has begun this month. RID is a companion series to Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye. MTMTE focuses on Rodimus and his crew as they search for the Knights of Cybertron. RID focuses on the Transformers left on Cybertron.

Centuries of war between the Autobots and Decepticons have ravaged the planet. The planet is actually attacking them on occasion. The Autobots have established themselves as the authority on Cybertron [...]

Infestation 2 #1
Written by Duane Swierczynski
Art by David Messina, Valerio Schiti
Ink Assist by Gaetano Carlucci, Federica Manfredi
Colors by Scarlet Gothica, Eleonora Carlini
Letters by Robbie Robbins, Shawn Lee
Covers by Alex Garner, Livio Ramoindelli, David Messina, and Joe Phillis
IDW Publishing
Release Date: January 25, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

Although summer is still months away, it feels like it’s here because Infestation 2 #1 feels like a big summer crossover/comic event. And in fact, it is.

Duane Swierczynski does a FANTASTIC job setting up this event. This issue is both set up AND execution. While none of the licensed characters appear in this issue, you get the origin of the monsters that are set loose to go and attack the Transformers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the GI Joe team, and more [...]

Sanctuary
By Stephen Coughlin
Slave Labor Graphics
Release Date: Available Now
Cover Price: $.99

Stephen Coughlin‘s Sanctuary is a really nice change of pace from any comic that’s out there today. Not quite sure where you’d categorize this, and I get the feeling that’s what the writers are going for, so I won’t even try to. Although the comic features talking animals, make no mistake, this is NOT a kids book and nothing along the vain of Captain Carrot or Spider-Ham. I feel bad even making those comparisons. Billed as “part Lost, part Island of Dr. Moreau” that wasn’t quite the feeling that I got out of it, having the bite of neither of these things. Yes, there’s mystery, but that’s really where it ends. The story is a little slow to begin, but once it gets going, it’s decent [...]