Friday brings the week to a close with a pair of "A"s in our hand: GRUNTS, from Arcana, and THE SECRET HISTORY from Archaia.

Here comes the flop...

/Mason

Comics' sexiest bloodsucker returns in VAMPIRELLA QUARTERLY...

Take a bite!

/Mason

The lunacy that is Matt Fraction's CASANOVA gets the hardcover treatment...

I read the individual issues *and* the hardcover, and I still don't really understand it. Sure is fun, though.

Go see what I mean...

/Mason

Manga Monday comes a day late, thanks to the holiday, and brings a new review for Tuesday along with it. Check out thoughts on BASILISK's conclusion, along with a look at the sexuality and gender confusion tale FOX BUNNY FUNNY today...

...over at the main site, of course.

/Mason

CWR WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA

It’s another biggie again this weekend, this time with five new number ones from the folks at Boom Studios.

2 GUNS #1 is written by Steven Grant and drawn by Mat Santolouco. Crime-master Grant adapts one of his screenplays for this tasty slice of graphic storytelling, the story of an undercover federal agent who finds himself needing to actually commit a crime of his own in order to save his life. Action, violence, betrayals, snappy dialogue… Grant is one of the only writers working in comics who actually understands how to make this genre work on the page. Part of that is evidenced in the storytelling; this is compressed work, featuring many pages with high panel counts and judicious camera movement that ratchets up the intensity of the scenes. Santolouco seems to have a solid grasp on how to interpret this type of story, and the book is visually appealing as well. The cliffhanger is terrific and takes the story in a fascinating direction, making this one to keep a serious eye on.

Andrew Cosby and Kevin Church write, and R.M. Yankovicz draws, COVER GIRL #1. Alex Martin is your classic out-of-work actor looking for a break when he finally gets one: he saves a woman from a burning car crash and a local new chopper captures it on film. Elevated onto the “A” list, he gets a cherry gig playing a spy from a series of popular novels. However, unbeknownst to him, the woman he saved was involved in some sort of conspiracy, and her pursuers are now after him. The studio’s solution: to avoid Alex looking like a wienie, they hire him a kick ass bodyguard… a female bodyguard. There’s a lot of charm here, and it zips along pleasantly, pace-wise. The only thing that really doesn’t work is that we don’t meet the title character until the final page. Cosby seems to have a decent Midas-touch so far, and Church is a funny guy, so I’m definitely onboard to see where it goes.

Biological warfare from outer space kicks off DOMINION #1, written by Michael Alan Nelson and drawn by Tim Hamilton. A group of random people in Chicago find their lives torn apart as they fall ill and begin manifesting strange powers or metamorphoses. Some go berserk; some destroy themselves; but no one knows quite yet why it’s happening. From the opening frames discussing the history of biological warfare on Earth to the mounting tension as people begin to transform to the absolutely insane cliffhanger, this is a dandy. An extra added happy note: good to see Tim Hamilton’s name in the credit box again, and it doesn’t look like he’s missed a step. At the hart of the story is a guy who hasn’t expressed a power as of yet except resolution to solve the problem. The pleasant thing is that you can’t be quite sure he’ll succeed.

RAY screenwriter James L. White writes HUNTER’S MOON #1, drawn by Dalibor Talajic. A wealthy businessman named Lincoln winds up stuck with his son for a weekend camping trip, instead of the woman he was hoping to have along. Unfortunately, the boy doesn’t like his father much, and dad doesn’t think very highly of his son’s dreams to become a rapper and music producer, either. Things really come to a head, however, when dad gets conked on the head while in the forest and wakes up to find the boy gone. I can admire HUNTER’S MOON in many respects; rare is the form of entertainment that focuses on the relationship between African-American men and their sons. And the story itself is executed well. But it is slooooooooooooow going to get to the final page. The pace here needed serious work. If it doesn’t pick up in the next issue, the mini risks going nowhere.

Or, worse, turning out like SALVADOR #1. Written by screenwriters Mark and Michael Polish and Sebastian Jones, with art by Steph Stamb, this is an unfortunate miss. The story: Salvador is the product of genetic engineering, born very brittle, but light as a feather, which allows him to fly. But I didn’t learn any of that from the actual comic; that’s from the in-house ads for Boom product. There isn’t a single caption or word of dialogue in this book, and you wouldn’t know a single thing about what the story was supposed to be without that p.r. The pictures are pretty, but they don’t flow or do any storytelling. There are inexplicable close-ups, and long shots that are rendered too dark to figure out by the way the book printed. It is the rare book from Boom that offers not even a sliver to recommend about it; even the first CTHULHU anthology, which I panned, had some good to it, and the company has carved out a nice, quality niche for itself. But this is a complete mess; avoid it.

That’s it for this weekend: the good, the bad, and the ugly from Boom. Thanks for reading; I’ll be back throughout the week for site updates after the Monday holiday.

/Mason

Finishing up the week... a look at Antony Johnston's post-apocalyptic WASTELAND...

The Big Wet begins here.

/Mason

Rounding third and heading for home... the great Lewis Trondheim gets another English adaptation of his work, the wonderful all-ages TINY TYRANT.

See why he's one of the few to buy, sight-unseen...

/Mason

It's time to do the humpty-hump, as Wednesday arrives and brings a review of RED EYE, BLACK EYE. K. Thor Jensen took a bus ride to remember in 2001, and it's something you won't quite ever forget yourself...

All aboard!

/Mason

Tuesday brings a look at the SASQUATCH anthology from Viper Comics, so it's bound to be some hairy reading...

Puns are all part of the package.

/Mason

Manga Monday! The next 400 posts starts off with a reminder to go check out my review of volumes 3 and 4 of STRAY LITTLE DEVIL...

Cuteness abounds!

/Mason

CWR WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA: 400TH ISSUE CELEBRATION

This marks the 400th post to this blog. Wow.

Now, I know that, compared to some other comics-related blogs, that’s pretty puny. But this puppy has a history to it that’s a bit different. I originally started the Comics Waiting Room as a blog only; the full website came years later. CWR began as a group blog, and folks like Graeme McMillan, Chris Allen, Alan David Doane, Joe Rybandt, and others participated in it. Eventually, the group format wound down, and I took back full control of the account, using it as a supplementary spot for reviews; my column at Movie Poop Shoot was always available to me, but sometimes I had so much material that I crossed the two over, hoping to pimp both at the same time.

But when the time came for me to leave View Askew and figured out my next move, this blog was sitting here waiting for me, offering me my best option: buy a new domain and start fresh with it, building from this blog. So comicswaitingroom.com was born, and I haven’t looked back. And even with the site to play with, I’ve kept this blog running; it acts as a site updater, plus, I still use it for extra reviews and the occasional commentary.

So, 400 posts later, it’s running strong. I feel pretty damned happy about that. And to celebrate, I offer up a huge Weekend Blog Extra, reviewing 7 titles from the good folks (especially my friend and former CWR contributor Mr. Rybandt) at Dynamite Entertainment.

LONE RANGER #5 is written by Brett Matthews and drawn by Sergio Cariello, and much like the first four issues of the title, it’s another sterling effort. Honestly, it’s difficult to find new things to say about this series; Matthews and Cariello have yet to hit a false note as the story’s progressed, and the characters only get stronger and more intriguing on the page, particularly Tonto. The slow, languid pacing might put off some fans, but for a western, it works just fine. And the iconic way that Cariello and colorist Dean White create the figures and backgrounds is some of the finest cinematography at work in comics right now. The book is up for an Eisner this year- it would be a very deserving winner.

Balanced against the wondrous RANGER, WITCHBLADE: SHADES OF GRAY #1 was already facing an uphill battle with me. Writers Leah Moore and John Reppion and artist Stephen Segovia also started in the hole because I’ve always loathed the Witchblade character (and the fact that the book birthed Michael Turner’s “career”). My primary issue with Sara Pezzini and her alter ego isn’t the ridiculous “costume,” however; my larger problem has always been in the portrayal of Sara herself, and the moronic ways the character has been drawn. No police detective would ever get away with wearing the stupid, revealing outfits artists put her in while she’s out on the job. So imagine my enormous surprise when this book opens with Sara dressed appropriately and joining forces with another female detective who does the same. And then the writers begin to put together a genuinely interesting mystery. All was good, and I actually found myself drawn into the story. Then, two-thirds of the way through the book, Sara shows up at headquarters to interrogate a suspect in a dress that would embarrass a street hooker, and the other female detective gets a shower scene and a “towel not long enough” butt shot. So close, but the trip and fall at the finish line leaves a good-sized strawberry.

From the same writers, Moore and Reppion, and artist Hugo Petrus, comes RAISE THE DEAD #2, DE’s entry into the zombie derby. The first issue felt a little flat to me, but the second picks up the pace a bit. We begin to get some background into what’s going on and the characters find a little time to get to know and hate one another, which proves to be a smart move on the authors’ part. Petrus also gets to stretch a bit more on the art side, given more locales and more zombies to work with, as well as some choice moments that take place before the dead got hungry and went out for brains. I’m still not fully sold on the book, but now I can at least see that the potential is there for it to happen. Another issue or two as solid as this one, and I’ll be fully onboard the bus.

My buddy John Layman writes DARK XENA #1, and new series artist Noah Salonga joins him for the tale, replacing the departed Fabiano Neves (currently drawing Layman’s excellent MARVEL ZOMBIES VS ARMY OF DARKNESS book). Layman’s first Xena book was a stunner; I’d never watched the show and kinda snickered at those who did, but he delivered a great story that made the characters extremely appealing. Now he’s traveled backwards; the TV series left Xena dead at the end, and now we’re finding out how she was resurrected. Sidekick Gabrielle makes a pact with an old god to bring back her friend, but in true “be careful what you wish for fashion” she’s returned as her old evil self. Whoops. The book necessarily lacks the joyful humor of Layman’s first book, and Neves’ absence is felt, but this is still entertaining and very readable. We know the ultimate outcome, but the journey is always the best part, right?

DARKMAN VS ARMY OF DARKNESS #3-4 concludes the titanic team-up of the year. No, not Ash and Dr. Westlake; writers Kurt Busiek and Roger Stern. They, with artist James Fry, have combined to produce one of DE’s more surprising recent efforts. Many attempts to combine franchises fall flat, but using the Necronomicon to resurrect Darkman’s mortal enemy and make some deadites was just about a perfect idea. The two classic pros at the keyboard then put together a nifty balance of action, character moments, and amusing dialogue and created a very “classic” reading comic book. Dense and compressed storytelling, art that serves the story and never itself… they don’t make ‘em like this very often anymore. Throw in some tasty covers from George Perez, and this is one of the more under-publicized and under-appreciated series in memory. Worth a look, either in pamphlet or the eventual trade.

Rick Remender’s CLASSIC BATTLESTAR GALACTICA #4-5 concludes his first series arc. The book has been maddeningly inconsistent; it started out terrific, dipped quickly into a slow, plodding pace, and swerves back around at the end to try and make it interesting. It will come as no surprise that Starbuck, Boomer, and their rescued colonists make it back to the rag-tag fleet; suffice it say, they return with the enemy in tow. Issue five sees artist Carlos Rafael finally turned loose for big action, and the book gets better for it. Part of what ailed Remender earlier in the series was not using his imagination in more expansive ways; there’s no limit to what you can do in comics, but until now, it seems like he’s been thinking “small” in many ways. The improvement here rescues the book and makes the arc successful on the whole, but I can’t help but think that it could have been so much better…

Why do I think that? Because CLASSIC BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: CYLON APOCALYPSE #2-3 shows just how effectively the original series can be done in comics. Writer Javier Grillo-Marxuach and returning artist Rafael take the ball and run with it, still producing the best comic currently featuring either crew. A rogue faction of Cylons has created a biological weapon to use upon its own citizenry, and that weapon falls into the hands of Adama and company, who must decide what to do with a genocidal gift. A war of the Lucifer models, robot protoplasm, hand-held laser fights in a vacuum, planetary assaults, debates over the ethics of bio-weaponry… Grillo-Marxuach has taken the best of the new series, melded it to the classic version, and let his creative side run wild. In fact, if the original series had been this good on a consistent basis (as the new one is), it would have survived, no matter the budget problems that dragged it down. On TV, I prefer Ron Moore’s vision to Glen Larson’s, but right now in the comics milieu, this one has ‘em all beat. Great stuff.

That’s it for issue 400. Thanks for reading. Thanks for your support. Please keep reading, both here, and over at the main site, and I’ll keep working. After all… Wednesday is never more than a week away.

/Marc Mason

Closing out the week: easily one of my favorite books of the year to date. The brilliantly absurdist JOHNNY HIRO mixes action, comedy, and giant monsters and robots perfectly.

Buy it. Immediately.

/Mason

Two for Thursday! Staffer Ericka Stricklett leaves the CWR behind and heads to her new life in Kentucky, but not before two new prose novel reviews that have comic tie-ins: TRAIN MAN : THE NOVEL and FROM THE NOTEBOOKS OF DR. BRAIN.

Text can be beautiful.

/Mason

On the mid-week hump: John Kovalic's brilliant fanboy masterpiece DORK TOWER gets a 10-year celebration collection. These days, strips like PVP and PENNY ARCADE may make a bit more noise, but no one has been doing it longer or better.

To ten more!

/Mason

It's Tuesday and we're still on schedule for the week. Yay! Today's review: THE RIDE: SAVANNAH, the latest entry in the series that (tangentitally) follows the adventures of a really hot car.

Is Georgia on your mind?

/Mason

Back in action! After two weeks of various personal matters taking up time, the site should start returning to full power this week. Starting off, of course, with a new Manga Monday! This week, PARASYTE returns to print, this time in the original right-to-left format. One of the classic sci-fi horror mangas ever...

Go be scared!

/Mason

Skipping past Wednesday (as I mentioned might happen), we dive into Thursday with a catch-up review on the modern BATTLESTAR GALACTICA series by Greg Pak. Just how is he doing, now that he's 2/3 of the way through his run?

I'll tell you.

/Mason

Tuesday... Ian Shaughnessy evokes the classic films of Billy Wilder and the Marx Brothers in SHENANIGANS...

Have a laugh, won't you?

/Mason

I'm baaaaaaaaaack!

For a bit, at least. Posting this week may be a bit sporadic as I settle back in and deal with some incoming visitors, but for today, at least, there's a new review. It's Manga Monday, and for your perusal today... meet PRINCESS RESURRECTION, a chainsaw-wielding, dead-raising ass-kicker in goth-gear.

Show me the love.

/Mason

So... I forgot to post a site update yesterday... whoops. But even more to the weird point, this will be the one and only update of the week because of it. The Room will not be update again until next week, as my day job will have me away from the computer for the rest of the week. But to tide you over... I've put up a full five days' worth of reviews anyway. They are:

Manga Monday: KURO GANE, the story of a samurai raised from the dead in a steel body.

Should It Be A Movie?: LEADING MAN... "Hollywood's biggest star is also America's best spy"

AiT/PLanetLar: THE LAST SANE COWBOY, collecting Daniel Merlin Goodbrey's award-winning minicomics.

Image Comics: FERRO CITY, which is "robots meet the Maltese Falcon"

Indy of the Week: British artist Tom Humbertstone tells HOW TO DATE A GIRL IN 10 DAYS and lectures on ART SCHOOL SCUM.

Please enjoy them. I'll see you on Monday!

/Mason

CWR WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA

Welcome to the third straight weekend with a new Blog Extra. I have to pat myself on the back for that, as well as say up front that there won’t be one next weekend, as I’ll be away and will return too late to post one. So I’ll just enjoy the heady rush of triumph now, thanks.

This week is request hour. My buddy Brandon Jerwa asked me if I hated the finale to his book since he hadn’t seen me write it up, and while it was tempting to fuck with him and tell him it blew goat, the truth was far less sinister- I was just running behind. So for my boy in the WA… here ya go. From the handsomely sexy folks at Dynamite Entertainment:

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: ZAREK #3-4 are written by my evil twin, Brandon Jerwa and drawn by Adriano Batista. When last we left GALACTICA’s best-known revolutionary, he had just blown up that government building that Ron Moore’s excellent sci-fi series told us about. Issues three and four take us inside his incarceration, and his rise to true power, even without his freedom. In an interesting bit of synchronicity with the show itself, it begins with Zarek writing a manifesto from his cell, much as Baltar would do in season three (which, considering that Zarek was Baltar’s vice president, gives you the echo of Baltar taking a page from his political mentor) and expanding his following. This allows him to grow in stature, even as he is given opportunities to exit the penal system. But his refusal to fall in line or give in to those he considers oppressors is what sands out about the character- he will leave and live his life only on his own terms, and when he sees that the time is correct for it. Prison is merely a minor obstacle to what he truly wants and sees as necessary for himself and those he represents.

The conclusion finds Zarek finally on the way to his parole hearing,
picked up by the Astral Queen and on his way to Caprica. But as we know from the show, a little distraction arose: the Cylons invaded, and the Astral Queen was right in the middle of it. It’s here, in the heart of a pitched battle, that we see the final evolution of the man we’ll meet in season one. He’s more than willing to pick up arms and work against the new threat, because he knows that humanity is now at a complete disadvantage, and his voice will ring loud… not only with the survivors, but especially with his captors, who now owe him their lives.

Taken as a whole and read directly before watching the character’s first appearance on the series, ZAREK really works well, fleshing him out in ways that licensed tie-ins rarely can. This really is Jerwa’s best work to date in comics, and the level of his commitment to producing the book is obvious. If you’re a fan of the modern show, this is more of a must-read than the regular ongoing series.

Back tomorrow for a site update.

/Mason

The week's over! Celebrate by checking out our review of the finale of MOUSE GUARD.

Like you have anything better to do. ;-)

/Mason

Two more for Thursday! First up, Tom Pappalardo offers up one of the most uniquely entertaining novellas I've seen in a while, BROKEN LINES, which features the adventures of a cowboy, a spaceman, a vampire, and a waitress! Next, the fertile minds of Andrew Cosby and Johanna Stokes deliver the story of a teddy bear turned spy in MR. STUFFINS.

Ya gotta see 'em to believe 'em.

/Mason

For Wednesday... Brandon Jerwa makes a nice course correction on the HIGHLANDER title...

Draw your sword.

/Mason

Two for Tuesday! First, a new Aisle Seat, taking a look at the TV version of PAINKILLER JANE. Then, a stroll through MORBID CURIOSITY, an art book collecting the best of horror master Mike Dubisch.

Check 'em out.

/Mason

Manga Monday! PURI PURI brings on the fanservice with a twist: it's set in a divinity school and the lead male character wants to be a priest.

Get your schoolgirl panty shots here.

/Mason

CWR WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA

It’s a second weekend in a row with a Blog Extra. That makes me happy enough to drink myself stupid. But first, I should actually write this thang.

From Devil’s Due Publishing:

The SHEENA, QUEEN OF THE JUNGLE $.99 SPECIAL is written by Robert Rodi and drawn by Steven Cummings. Sheena, the original jungle heroine, was a Will Eisner co-creation, and makes her return to comics after a very lengthy absence. Last seen being played by Gena Lee Nolin on TV, the character has been more of a film presence than graphic presence for the past fifty years. Re-imagined by screenwriter Steven deSouza, this new incarnation of the character is considered to be a myth by the majority of the public where she does her work, a rainforest country called Val Verde. Industrialists think she’s a creation of environmentalists, the environmentalists think she’s a way for the industrialists to discredit them… the only thing we do know is that she’s real, and the local animals are very fond of her. Rodi’s story gives you just enough to be interested in the bigger picture, and Cummings avoids stupid cheesecake shots, excepting one panel that stares up her ass. Throw in a nicely written history of the character, and this is more than worth your yanqui dollar.

Tim Seeley writes, and Matt Merhoff draws, HACK/SLASH VS. CHUCKY, the series’ best entry since GIRLS GONE DEAD. In fact, the villain of this piece actually returns from GIRLS; Laura Lochs survived being burned alive by Cassie, and to take revenge, she uses Chucky’s voodoo amulet to trade bodies with Cassie’s partner Vlad. Now, Cassie has to team up with the murderous doll in order to save her friend, as well as survivors from the previous adventures that Laura has captured and begun torturing. Melding some terrific continuity from the entire series with a fast-paced plot and righteous action, this is a true return to form for the series, which had faltered a bit as of late. I wasn’t sold on the idea of adding Chucky to the mix, as I loathe those movies, and homicidal dolls stories as a rule, but Seeley gives Chucky plenty of pluck and personality and makes him compelling on the page. Merhoff delivers some terrific art, too, which is good- he’s actually set to be the regular artist on the SHEENA title when it starts. He looks like he’ll be up to the job.

See you this week for main site updates.

/Mason

Closing out the week: two newbies for Friday. What is the POWER OF THE VALKYRIE? And what sort of meds do you take when you have GEARHEAD?

TGIF.

/Mason

The evolving, improving Nate Powell shows off his chops in PLEASE RELEASE...

Catch and...

/Mason

After years of toil and trouble, the completed ELK'S RUN finally hits the stands.

Congrats to Josh Fialkov and friends!

/Mason

For the first time in quite a while, a new review on the IDW page. C.S.I. DYING IN THE GUTTERS sees Rich Johnston get bumped off... so there's something fun for the whole family!

Dust for fingerprints here.

/Mason

A double dose of Manga Monday! Two new volumes of XXXHOLIC drop, plus: the very high profile OEL launch of AVRIL LAVIGNE'S MAKE 5 WISHES!

Don't you wish you were reading these reviews right now?

/Mason

CWR WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA

Hooray! It’s time for a new Blog Extra! This weekend, a look at three high-profile launches from Dynamite Entertainment.

PAINKILLER JANE #0, written by Jimmy Palmiotti and drawn by Lee Moder, brings the indestructible ass-kicker back for madness and mayhem. Amusingly, we met Jane with her ass hanging out; she’s gone undercover trying to smoke out some bad guys working out of a tattoo parlor, and the easiest way to prove she isn’t a cop is to get a tat on her rear end. Of course, this being Jimmy Palmiotti at the keyboard, it also provides plenty of moments for sick humor. In the course of getting her ink, trouble does manage to arrive, and Jane has to start doing what she does best, which is kill and blow shit up while displaying a snarky attitude. Executed brilliantly on the page by the always-terrific Lee Moder, JANE’s return is a complete hoot, and a twisted, zesty thrill. More please, and soon.

Leah Moore and John Reppion write, and Hugo Petrus draws, RAISE THE DEAD #1. A number of strangers are trapped within diner, the place surrounded by a mounting zombie epidemic. Everyone must figure out a way to work together, or they’re all going to die. Some zombies have made it in; can the group survive long enough to get out and get to a place that might offer safety? Unfortunately, there isn’t anything here that really jumps up and grabs you as an original take on the classic zombie story. It’s all executed with fine, competent precision, and there’s nothing to suggest that the story can’t veer wildly into new and exciting directions once the cast moves to their next destination. But issue one doesn’t give you much more than what you’ve seen before. A better start, maybe in media res further ahead in the plot, may have been the smarter play.

SAVAGE TALES #1 is an anthology title written and drawn by various creators. The lead story, a Red Sonja story written by Ron Marz (whose name is misspelled in the credits) is the best bit in the book, following Sonja as she meets a witch with a similar background story to hers but with a wildly different agenda. Moore and Reppion deliver a story here, too, and a stronger effort than RAISE THE DEAD. The only story that really fell completely flat for me was “Where Walks the Hunter,” a bit by Mike Oeming and Luke Lieberman that attempts to fill in the blanks behind the scenes of the main RED SONJA book, but instead confuses; not everyone picking up this book reads the main title, and without that knowledge, the plot made no sense. Overall, though, this is a solid effort, and Arthur Suydam’s cover is icing on the cake. There’s plenty of room for improvement, but the foundation is built well.

/Mason

It's Friday the 13th, but luckily, I have a great book to review. James Vining tells the story of the chimp who was FIRST IN SPACE, and it's a knockout!

Grab a banana and read about it.

/Mason

Virgin Comics gets a publisher page, and we take a look at VIRULENTS and GUY RICHIE'S GAMEKEEPER...

Click.

/Mason

Aliens doing a psychic autopsy on a dead Earth? Nuclear waste protesters with a guard robot? They won't get much stranger than Alex Cahill's POISON THE CURE, but that doesn't mean it's a bad thing...

Go see what I mean.

/Mason

Few things are as lovely as Ladronn's art. Checking out the second HIP FLASK hardcover today at the main site...

/Mason

It's time for a brand new Manga Monday! This week, the first volume of CHINESE HERO, which looks real pretty but has a story that's completely impenetreble...

Pan City.

/Mason

Week's just about over, and it's been a killer. So why not review THE KILLER #2 from Archaia?

Shoot 'em up!

/Mason

Rounding third and heading for home... the ever-amazing Javier Grillo-Marxuach offers up the terrific CLASSIC BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: CYLON APOCALYPSE.

It's a budget buster!

/Mason

Hitting the midweek stride, we have a good one: Sara Ryan, her second novel completed, has returned to FLYTRAP, bringing a second episode of her wonderful minicomic to the masses.

Go read about it.

/Mason

Anthologies are an iffy business, but Arcana's DARK HORRORS is actually pretty well done...

Boo!

/Mason

Manga Monday! This week, a look at the award-winning MUSHISHI. But Marc doesn't quite agree with that award...

Go see.

/Mason

WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA: FRIDAY EDITION

Yeah, I know... the Blog Extra has been AWOL for a couple of months. Couldn't be helped, as life has thrown a couple of curves at me. But it should return within the next few weeks on a more consistent basis. In the meantime, please enjoy this review of a book due out next Wednesday.

XOMBIE #1
Written by James Farr and Drawn by Nate Lovett
Published by Devil’s Due Press

The first thing you think of when you see a book called XOMBIE is: dear God, do we really need another one?

Image has a zombie book. Marvel has one. IDW has published their fair share. Boom Studios built their company on zombie books. Dynamite has one on the way. So the market is pretty saturated by books featuring the walking dead. Therefore, when I went to crack the cover on this book, it was starting at a pretty severe disadvantage.

But damned if I didn’t get drawn into this one. The first thing that grabs you is the look; Nate Lovett’s art moves the zombie story away from the gritty realism of Charlie Adlard and others, and instead shifts it towards the more animated-looking style. It’s friendly and accessible, even with the dark topic at hand. Second is the story itself; Farr’s world is not only well developed, but it also has a kid at the heart of the story, and one who doesn’t annoy the reader right out of the gate. Most of the time when you put a kid in this type of situation, you hope for their quick and horrific death, but not Zoe (our heroine, if you will).

The main plot, in which a sentient and reasonable zombie is located and asked to aid the human population, has plenty of potential for interesting directions to go, and as long as the book plays fair and keeps Zoe from becoming too much of an ass pain, this should have a strong, successful run.

See you at the main site.

/Mason

Closing out a so-so week, we have a true highlight offering: a new volume of the DUNGEON saga! Sfar, Trondheim, and Larcenet... what more could you ask for?

/Mason

The legendary Jim Starlin combines his love of the cosmis with kid-friendly comics in KID KOSMOS...

Beam it up here.

/Mason

Yeesh. I put up a new review yesterday and forgot to update. D'oh! So that means *three* new reviews are ready for your perusal if you use this feed.

From yesterday, a look at the charming all-ages TEXAS STRANGERS. But Wednesday is "Thumbs Down" day, which includes Renee French's MICROGRAPHICA and SUPER REAL VS THE COMICS INDUSTRY.

Make with the clicky.

/Mason

Manga Monday! This week: catching up on the latest four volumes of PASTEL, a fanservice filled feast for the pervy eye guy.

Plus: a bonus review! With the TRANSFORMERS movie on the way, AiT has brought GIANT ROBOT WARRIORS back into the spotlight. A reprint review from the Movie Poop Shoot days!

Get 'em both here!

/Mason

Closing the doors for the week, we have reviews of two new books from Boom Studios: HERO SQUARED #5 and WARHAMMER 40000 #2.

See them explode.

/Mason

Doubling up... I was ill yesterday and didn't do a site update, so you get two new reviews today to make up for it. First Second brings a translated gem from Italian comics legend Gipi in GARAGE BAND, and Scott Sava collects THE DREAMLAND CHRONICLES, which proves to be a huge smash with the tweener set.

Read 'em and smile.

/Mason

Scott Kurtz' PVP gets a fourth collection from Image...

Webcomics Survivor, today at the main site.

/Mason

Manga Monday has rolled around again, and this week the spotlight is on the final three volumes of the terrific LOVE ROMA.

As a bonus, there's also a new Aisle Seat, with our review of the zeitgeist-grabbing 300!

Go read.

/Mason

Finishing out the week... someone's still making comics for kids: Nickelodeon. See how they've collected a bunch of them together in one tidy, inexpensive package right here.

/Mason

Thursday brings two sticks of Dynamite: the second issue of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: ZAREK and XENA ANNUAL 1.

Frakkin' A!

/Mason

Made it to midweek! Today: a balanced set of reviews. First up, the incredible NAT TURNER VOL.2 from the amazing Kyle Baker, followed by the not-very-good STRONGARM #1.

Very Libra, yes?

/Mason

Former Disney animator Christian Slade delivers his first graphic novel, the delightful KORGI...

All-ages fun.

/Mason

It's Manga Monday! This week, a look at Jin Kobayashi's SCHOOL RUMBLE, and how the series has evolved into something very different than what it started out as.

Check it out.

/Mason

The week is over, and you can close it out with a massive catch-up review of the world if G.I. JOE.

Check out our response to issues 17-19 and SPECIAL MISSIONS: ANTARCTICA here.

/Mason

Continuing my week of double-ups: two new books from Boom Studios. Check out my reviews of TAG: CURSED and FALL OF CTHULHU right here.

/Mason

Two more newbies today! HIGHLANDER'S first arc draws to a close, while THE LONE RANGER continues to get better and better!

Intense, high-explosive, Dynamite, it's Dynamite...

/Mason

Two for Tuesday! First, the 10th MUSE meets EZRA in an inter-company crossover! Then: the wonderful Euro import THE PROFESSOR'S DAUGHTER gets translated and brought to U.S. shelves.

Ya gotta keep 'em separated!

/Mason

Manga Monday! This week: four new volumes of NEGIMA!, as the boy mage must use time travel to meet all of his obligations at a festival and then prepare for a martial arts tournament that may lead him to his missing father!

Right-to-left goodness!

/Mason

Closing the week... Checker delivers a second tasty volume of THE TROUBLE WITH GIRLS...

One family curse, no waiting...

/Mason

Gah!

Totally blew it, not posting yesterday's site update. Anyway, yesterday's review covered the excellent collection of Paul Chadwick's underrated and under-appreciated THE WORLD BELOW. A must read.

Another excellent read today, as NBM delivers a hardcover collection of Rob Vollmar and Pablo Callejo's THE CASTAWAYS. Depression Era goodness.

Make with the reading, por favor.

/Mason

A milestone: Image Comics gets the 50th page created for the site. In the six months since the main site went live, I've done nearly 250 reviews.

I'm beat! But still I go on.

The reviews on page #50? ELEPHANTMEN #7 and DYNAMO 5 #1.

Thank you for your continued patronage.

/Mason

Manga Monday! Lewis Carroll's creation gets a twist in ETERNAL ALICE RONDO!

Down the rabbit hole...

/Mason

Closing out the week: Arcana Studio joins the ranks of publisher pages with its Hawaiian-themed mystery book KONI WAVES.

Surf's up!

/Mason

Rolling down the stretch... Alex Sheikman's gorgeous ROBOTIKA gets the deluxe hardcover treatment...

Cyber/steampunk action with ninjas!

/Mason

Hitting the mid-week hump... the second issue of MAINTENANCE, which is a distinct improvement upon the first...

Clean up on aisle 12!

/Mason

Dynamite delivers an Eduardo Risso classic, an English adaptation of BORDERLINE.

Yummy artistic goodness right here.

/Mason

Manga Mondays continue! This week: three new volumes of the ever-excellent GHOST HUNT!

Check 'em out.

/Mason

Closing out the week... Zartan and company get the origin treatment in DREADNOKS DECLASSIFIED...

Make up!

/Mason

Werewolves and Roanoke collide in FIRST MOON.

Things get a bit hairy...

/Mason

It's a mid-week indy stop for Josh Kemble's NUMB...

Love, lost, inspiration.

/Mason

Two more from Image today, but much better efforts than what we saw last week. First, MIKE CAREY'S ONE-SIDED BARGAINS, an excellent collection of the writer's creator-owned work. Plus, SILENCERS, which is sort of the Canadian equivalent of QUEEN AND COUNTRY.

Check 'em out.

/Mason

The new week is underway, and leading off is, of course, Manga Monday. Today's look is at the adaptation of ONEGAI TWINS...

Teen love triangle, no waiting...

/Mason

Closing out the week... another nifty Euro reprint from Archaia, OKKO...

Go see.

/Mason

Looking for a fine all-ages book? Look no further than ED'S TERRESTRIALS, the charming tale of a boy whose treehouse is invaded by aliens...

Beam coordinates here.

/Mason

Two new anthologies from Image at the mid-week break... LOW ORBIT (okay) and WONDERLOST (umm... not so ok).

Here, por favor.

/Mason

Two more reviews today, as BATTLESTAR GALACTICA and the CLASSIC version each see their storylines move forward...

Look! A rag-tag fleet!

/Mason

Doiuble your fun on this Monday... manga madness with a review of GENSHIKEN vol.6-7 and a brand new Aisle Seat. The Japanese blockbuster TRAIN MAN hits DVD in the U.S.!

Let love rule!

/Mason

Closing the week... Cassie and Vlad return in HACK/SLASH: SLICE HARD, an entry that ups the action quotient of the franchise.

Read all about it.

/Mason

A fresh page of indy reviews opens with SOUNDS OF YOUR NAME, a collection of alt-cartoonist Nate Powell's work.

Check it out.

How American comics lost the culture war: the Louvre is producing graphic novels, and the first one has been translated and hit our shores. GLACIAL PERIOD, today at the main site...

/Mason

The macabre horror of THE GRAVE ROBBER'S DAUGHTER... today at the main site.

/Mason

Manga Monday! REAL/FAKE PRINCESS delivers the shojo... but unfortunately, it isn't the top-notch stuff you'd hope for...

Go See.

/Mason

CWR WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA

First, a brief note of explanation: the Blog Extra will be a semi-weekly feature for a while, as I have a number of other commitments that will force me to take a few weekends off for other purposes. After all: it’s far more important to get the weekday updates ready than anything else.

This latest edition covers two new books from Viper Comics. So let’s see what’s making its way out of Texas these days, shall we?

THE LOST BOOKS OF EVE #1 is written and drawn by Josh Howard. Most will know Howard from his DEAD @17 franchise, so EVE will certainly offer some surprises. Pretty much the only two things the books have in common is a female protagonist. EVE is about the woman created from Adam’s rib, and Howard positions the book as a “lost” book of the Bible (perhaps a piece of the Apocrypha). As the story begins, Adam has gone missing, thrown overboard from the duo’s raft during a storm. After a confrontation with God about the nature of free will, Eve decides to leave the garden and try and discover what has happened to her mate. This plays as a relatively intriguing and interesting idea to build a series upon, and it’s certainly a brave direction to take. I have only two qualms, neither religion-based; one, Eve is nude throughout the majority of the book, but Howard takes great pains to obscure her bits. As an indy book, I think the book would have been better served by acknowledging and showing, rather than forcing odd camera angles and such. My second qualm is the lack of story pages. I made note of this in Howard’s last issue of DEAD, and it applies here: there are less than twenty actual pages of story/art here. Good book, but needing a bit more in the way of value.

Jason Burns writes, and Ron Chan draws, A DUMMY’S GUIDE TO DANGER #4, the conclusion to what has been an excellent miniseries. When last we left Alan Sirois and his ventriloquist dummy companion Bloomberg, they had arrived at the love of Alan’s life Teri’s apartment to find her lying in a bathtub full of blood. Fortunately, she turns out to be breathing, but getting her to the hospital isn’t going to be easy. Boyd, the cop who has it in for Alan, stands in the way, and the killer hasn’t left the premises yet. Without giving too much away, I’ll note that Burns’ story delivers a fair and satisfying ending. Alan continues to take beating after beating, you still don’t find him to be completely sane, and there’s no cop out or supernatural twist involving Bloomberg. DUMMY is the kind of book that is best served by an indy publisher like Viper, as Marvel or DC would likely try and impose false or stupid ideas (such as a supernatural twist for Bloomberg) rather than let the author’s story play out organically as it does here. Solid work, and a trade edition I would expect to sell well.

See you throughout the week for site updates!

/Mason

Closing out the week, Kirby-esque monsters stomp the Earth in DORIS DANGER, and mad science gets squished by DR. DEBUNKO.

Indy books, no waiting...

/Mason

Joe Linsner is a very talented artist... very talented. But his horror comics are kinda freaky, and not always in the good way. Read all about ANGRY CHRIST COMIX (in which the big guy actually doesn't appear) today at the main site.

/Mason

Straddling the middle... a new volume of the terrific webcomic YOU'LL HAVE THAT hits shelves...

Fun for a girl or a boy.

/Mason

The world of licensed comics gets a bit better with the addition of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: ZAREK...

It's fraktastic!

/Mason

Manga Monday! Three volumes of Hayakawa's THE WALLFLOWER put under the microscope.

Goth-y goodness awaits!

/Mason

Closing out the week: the first SIBAM? of the new year! Stephen Buell's VIDEO gets collected, and you get another chance to check out this terrific work of modern horror and paranoia. What's it all about?

The return of Jesus, for one thing...

/Mason

Heading around turn three... the great Lewis Trondheim drops another gem onto the shelves with MISTER I...

You'll dig it.

/Mason

A late update, but it was up earlier in the day, I swear... today's review covers the conclusion to MELTDOWN, the story of a superhero deciding how to spend his final hours...

Burn out the day, burn out the night...

/Mason

Post-holiday... TALES FROM THE FARM, a new graphic novel from Canadian artist Jeff Lemire.

Go see.

/Mason

CWR HOLIDAY WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA

First things first: I was remiss Friday in not updating this blog/feed to note that I posted a brand new review over at the main site. Dynamite Entertainment has rescued Tim Truman’s 80s classic SCOUT and you should seriously check it out. Go. I’ll wait.

Okay. Welcome back. The first Blog Extra of the year covers a new crop of goodies from the fine folks at Fantagraphics. Jumping in…

THE COMICS JOURNAL #279 is the usual terrific package of materials, and more than usual it demonstrates why the JOURNAL both impresses and infuriates. What impresses? Amazing articles like Trina Robbins’ interview with World War Two era artist Lily Renee and the presentation of a number of her comics. Renee’s work is a delight, and the reminder that women filled in on the cartoonist front as well as in the factories is a good one. The issue also contains a number of excellent reviews, none better than Noah Berlatsky’s evisceration of Jeffrey Brown’s EVERY GIRL IS THE END OF THE WORLD FOR ME (“Brown doesn’t work around or within his limitations. Instead, he just let’s them sit there proudly, like a 3-year old who’s taken a dump and wants to show you the turds.”) The infuriation comes from the feature interview with Johnny Ryan, the only cartoonist working today who is possibly less talented and compelling than Jeffrey Brown (and oddly enough, it’s conducted by Berlatsky). His comics have nothing interesting to say, and the interview verifies that neither does the man. Impressive or not, the JOURNAL is always worth your time and cash.

Gilbert Hernandez writes and draws NEW TALES OF OLD PALOMAR #1, which takes his HEARTBREAK SOUP settings and characters and moves them into the oversized “Ignatz” format. The story picks up as the town is beset by food thieves who are running so fast that no one can catch them. But eventually Pipo is put on the chase and cracks the mystery. Long time fans of Beto’s work will be delighted to see new work set in the era where Luba and Pipo are still young and life hasn’t begun dragging them down as it does down the road. New readers will be easily able to figure out who the people are and their relationships to one another, thanks to the simple introductions and Hernandez’ use of body language and facial expressions to convey emotion and meaning. And much like the hardcover did for PALOMAR, the larger format really allows the art (shading and detail) to breathe. Instantly my favorite book in the line.

Also new in the Ignatz line is DELPHINE #1, written and drawn by Richard Sala. My previous attempts to get into Sala’s work have come up flat; something about his attempts to balance horror with whimsy not clicking. But DELPHINE is a full turn away from how I felt about those earlier efforts; basically, a young man travels to a remote town to visit the girl he loves, but thanks to strange citizenry and bizarre circumstances, he finds himself in mortal danger. The book is played as SNOW WHITE told from the Prince’s side, and as a clear horror tale (no whimsy allowed). Sala’s art is dark and moody, and atmosphere drips from every panel, and his script is very strong in making the townsfolk just real enough to prevent them from becoming caricatures. I was immediately drawn to the boy’s plight, and the flashback that sets up his relationship with the girl is executed perfectly. Very good effort.

Completing this round of the Ignatz releases is INTERIORAE #2, written and drawn by Gabriella Giandelli. Issue one followed a strange, spectral white rabbit as it observed the inhabitants of a European apartment building and reported on their behavior to a dark force living in the bottom of the building (which could be interpreted as being anything from a demon to the building itself). Issue two is more of the same, as the rabbit follows the sex lives of a couple of the women in the building, as well as the hallucinations of an older female resident. Hearts break, metaphysical moments occur… pretty much your standard day leading up to Christmas. But the real heart of the story creeps in at the final moments when the darkness dweller begins offering up a hint as to its true feelings and intentions to those who live above, and it positively chills the reader. INTERIORAE delivers a solid reading experience and retains the potential to break out into something special.

That’s it for this week. Be here through the week as I (attempt to offer, I swear) main site updates, as well as back here on the weekends for more future editions of the Blog Extra!

/Mason

Life went horribly awry yesterday, leaving me unable to update the site at all. So today: two new reviews! THINGS ARE MEANING LESS, a confessional tale from an alt-cartoonist, and THE KILLER, gorgeous Euro import.

Check 'em out.

/Mason

Ahh... the perils of Blogger. I updated the site eight hours ago and am only now able to tell you about it here. *sigh*

Today's review: WARHAMMER 40000 arrives from Boom Studios, adapting the classic game to comics.

Roll 2 D20s to get the skinny.

/Mason

Manga Monday! HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS dives into the friendships and perisl of being a teen, and does it surprisingly well. of course, the author is telling a story about her own self and her friends, which helps...

Go see.

/Mason