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

Closing out the week... the conclusion to G.I. JOE DECLASSIFIED and Larry Hama's return to the characters.

Fire it up!

/Mason

Diving into the indy pile... after 2+ years, Dirk Tiede's second PARADIGM SHIFT collection hits the stands, and it's just as good as the first one...

Cops and werewolves. Cool.

/Mason

BACK FROM OUTER SPACE

2007 is underway at the Waiting Room, and we get it started by dipping our toes into the manga waters. First up is SUZUKA, a mature readers title about love and... track and field?

Stop by.

/Mason

HOLIDAY BLOGGING PART TWO: ARMY OF DARKNESS

I’m back to close out the year, and the big finish is actually a pretty big finish! Seven new books from the good folks at Dynamite Entertainment! But before I dive in: thanks to every single one of you that takes the time to come here and read, as well as those who make their way to the main site from here. I appreciate your time and attention, and I do my best not to waste it.

The ARMY OF DARKNESS MOVIE ADAPTATION is adapted and drawn by the great John Bolton, straight from Sam and Ivan Raimi’s original script. This is easily the best AOD product on the market; the movie itself holds up quite well, and Bolton does an amazing job of adapting it to the page and making it flow. Plus: it’s John Bolton for fuck’s sake! He’s one of the true giants remaining in the medium, and puts the majority of his peers to shame. Ash’s journey to the past looks so pretty here that it almost puts the actual celluloid stock to shame. Film adaptations are a dying art, and few are ever any good (the Goodwin/Simonson ALIEN being the major exception), but this ranks right up there with the best ever produced.

James Kuhoric writes ARMY OF DARKNESS VS. RE-ANIMATOR, with art by Sanford Greene and Nick Bradshaw. This trade paperback collects the first four issues of the AOD ongoing series, and features the first of Ash’s crossovers with other horror franchises. Kuhoric does a decent job of bringing the two together, and the story gets off to a decent enough start, but as it moves forward, the RE-ANIMATOR elements get pushed aside for too long. There are also a couple of narrative jumps (such as Sheila’s fate being handled mostly off-screen) that don’t quite play right to the reader. My major quibble is that the EVIL DEAD films were solid “R”s, and the gore factor in the book is very high, but the language gets “bleeped”. I don’t quite understand why blood and severed heads are okay, but the word “shit” isn’t/

ARMY OF DARKNESS: OLD SCHOOL is also written by Kuhoric and drawn by Kevin Sharpe. The next three issues of the ongoing, plus the TALES OF AOD one-shot are collected here, and it is a marked step-forward over the previous book. Ash and his new comely comrade Sugar head back to the cabin where his troubles all began, and he must confront the animated body of his dead friends and girlfriend in an effort to find a way to save Sheila’s soul. By returning to the heart of the AOD saga, Kuhoric delivers a perfect gift to the fans of the character. Throughout the book you’ll find one easter egg after another designed for the serious franchise fanboy. But the book also works as a solid story for the reader who isn’t a fan of the franchise as well; what you have here is a solid “haunted house in the woods” story. The addition of Sharpe to the art chores makes a huge impact as well; his style is more realistic and adds to the horrific nature of what happens to Ash and Sugar.

Top Cow Productions co-produced MONSTER WAR with
Dynamite, lending Witchblade, Darkness, Magdalena, and Lara Croft for a face-off against the classic monsters Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, Wolfmen, and Dr. Hyde. Written by Christopher Golden and Tom Sniegowski and drawn by Joyce Chen and Victor Ishimura, the story finds Mr. Hyde plotting to use Dracula to split the world’s population into vicious vampires who spread a disease and weak victims, and to use the Frankenstein Monster as a gate to allow ancient evil to roam the Earth. Oh, and Dracula uses the Magdalena’s virgin blood to power himself. If you couldn’t tell from all that, this is a pretty incoherent mess, and the story is very difficult to pick apart. The writers are solid veterans of the horror genre, but this is a swing and a miss for them. The artists do their best to make it work and look nice, but in the end, nothing captivates here beyond the collection of covers. AOD tie-in: from here, Dracula arrives on the final pages of issue seven and headlines the next few issues of the ongoing.

ARMY OF DARNKESS #12-13 are written by Kuhoric and drawn by Fernando Blanco
(with the final page of issue thirteen drawn by Sean Phillips). This two-part conclusion to the ongoing series wraps up the proceedings tightly; all the threads put into place by the Raimi films and the previous issues come together with a reasonable explanation for why Ash’s life has sucked shit at every turn. Bringing together virtually every character of importance to the AOD saga, this feels like an earned ending, not a cheap one, and it brings the goods for fans of the saga. But the real kick in the pants is that final page, where we see Ash’s arrival at his next destination: the Marvel Zombies universe. I’ve never been a huge fan of AOD, but this crossover promises to be one of the more entertaining books to hit the shelves in 2007.

Kurt Busiek and Roger Stern deliver DARKMAN VS. ARMY OF DARKNESS #2, aided and abetted by James Fry on the art, and it brings the goods. The Necronomicon has possessed the love of Darkman’s life, Julie, and Ash has been magically summoned to battle her Deadites. Seamlessly blending to the two franchises, the two heroes first fight against one another and then team up to try and rescue the woman’s soul. Issue one was heavily focused on Darkman, but issue two shoves a bit more of the focus towards Ash, giving each character a more balanced amount of “screen time.” While not a big AOD fan, I am a huge DARKMAN fan, so this series is playing right into my soft spots, particularly the cliffhanger reveal. When you bring together two veteran talents like Stern and Busiek, you expect something really good; and fortunately, with this mini, you’re getting it.

See you all in 2007!

/Mason

HOLIDAY BLOGGING

Welcome to the first (of what I think will be two) holiday review blog. Today’s entry covers three items from our friends at Image Comics.

OUTLAW NATION is written by Jamie Delano and drawn by Goran Sudzuka and Goran Parlov. DC/Vertigo originally published OUTLAW NATION, but after sales figures came in for issue fifteen, it was given a death warrant and ended four issues later. This collection unites all nineteen issues under one cover, a mega-sized 450 page+ book. NATION follows the adventures of Story Johnson, a semi-immortal writer who returns from 25 years MIA in Vietnam to find his extended Johnson family in radical disarray. His father is controlling governmental agencies, his evil half-brother is a murderous freak, and he discovers that he has a son… and that son is about have to have a child of his own. Add a single mother and her mentally unstable son to the mix, and you get a sprawling Americana epic. The story is rich and complex- I really haven’t scratched the surface in explaining it- and the art, presented here in black and white, is terrific. The only place where the book suffers is in those final issues, where Delano had to artificially crank up an ending. But even then, he turns in a perfectly respectable effort. This is a keeper of a book.

Jae Lee writes and draws the collected HELSHOCK, co-published by Dynamic Forces. HELLSHOCK has been one of those “long, lost” projects, a book that achieved high praise and acclaim, but disappeared before it was ever completed. Now, Lee has put together his final chapter (and more) and brought the series together under one cover. The story concerns a young psychiatric intern named Christina who finds her own sense of reality and appropriateness eroding as she gets deeply involved with her patients. Unquestionably, the strength of the series was Lee’s beautiful artwork, and what makes this paperback even more interesting is that you can watch it develop over time. By the time you get to the now completed final chapter and see what he can do now… all you can do is say “Wow.” The series’ fatal flaw was that the story itself was never all that compelling, and Christina doesn’t garner much of your sympathy as a reader. The collected edition goes a bit further in highlighting the storytelling deficiencies, but the art makes the book more than worth buying.

ELEPHANTMEN #5 is written by Richard Starkings and drawn by Moritat. One of the problems with the earlier issues of this series was the anthological format; the creative team was delivering two stories that were generally unrelated and doing nothing but marking time in this world. But with issue five, the book takes a sharp turn into telling a larger, longer story, and the results make for a distinctly better comic. By returning to a couple of plot points introduced in the zero issue, we start to see the tapestry of a genuine plan behind Starkings’ stories, and it gives you a lot more confidence that ELEPHANTMEN isn’t existing solely as an artistic exercise. Of course, if it did, this would still be a fairly successful comic; Moritat keeps improving with each issue he turns out. But in the end, it’s better to produce something interesting and readable, and this could turn out to be something special in the long run.

/Mason

Sorry about the lack of an update yesterday- severe net problems are limiting my access. But there was an update: the wonderful GEORGE PEREZ: STORYTELLER, an artistic biography of the living legend.

Today: the final main site update of 2006, as the Waiting Room will be on holiday hiatus. But today's update is a huge one: 10 ESSENTIAL BOOKS FOR 2006! Not your traditional top ten list by any means.

Go see what the fuss is all about.

And check back here through next week as I may just sneak in a few extra reviews just for the fun of it, and they'll appear only right here!

/Mason

One of my all-time favorite mangas draws to a close this week. REMOTE takes its final bow, today over at the main site.

A moment of silence, por favor.

/Mason

Since we'll be taking a holiday break at the Main Site after this Friday, this marks the final week of new reviews for 2006. Getting us started: SCARLETT DECLASSIFIED, which might just be the best G.I.JOE book ever produced.

Love the redheads.

/Mason

CWR WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA

Welcome to the latest edition of the Blog Extra. Today, we have two self-published indy books on tap for your enjoyment.

ACTION FIGURE #1 is written and drawn by Richard Marcej. Marcej was an artist and designer for both Hasbro and Hallmark early in his career, and this series was set to be a semi-autobiographical take on his experiences working for those companies and what came afterwards. Unfortunately, ACTION FIGURE didn’t make the Diamond minimum for orders, so the author is now selling the book direct through his Baboon Books website. It’s sort of a shame that the book didn’t get wide distribution; this opening tale of his stand-in “Richard Marzelak” is an accomplished piece of work, even with its flaws. Marcej certainly has plenty of artistic talent, and he shows a decent grasp of layout for someone putting together his first comic. The story of an everyman trying to figure out his dreams and escaping a soul-sucking job rings true as well. The one place where he does go off the rails a bit is in his depiction of Marzelak’s character. He comes across as very whiny more than once, making it a bit difficult to sympathize with him. Still, this is a book with real merit, and worth your attention.

GHOST ASSASSIN: PRELUDE is written by Adam Watson and drawn by Charles Carvalho, and is available via Darkslinger Comics. An assassin named David has a more unusual life that you might imagine; along with his lack of remorse about killing people for a living, he can also see ghosts. And as an added bonus, the ghosts of some he has killed are bonded to him, giving him the ability to have a running dialogue with someone who doesn’t exist… and little-to-no private time. It makes you wonder when he feels comfortable to take a dookie or rub one out. But I digress. The Prelude issue introduces David, sets up his latest murder-for-hire, and brings two ghosts into the picture who play a pivotal role, including one who was his friend and that now watches his back. The story is pretty solidly executed, showing us that David has his own twisted sense of honor, even when he knows that his life is immoral, but the art has a few letdowns that put a drag on the story; some pages are inked too heavy to work well with the colors and the book looks murky because of it.

That’s all for this week. Pop in for site updates throughout the week, and be back here next weekend for the final Blog Extra of 2006!

/Mason

You think your job sucks? Try working as a janitor at a think-tank for evil scientists. MAINTENANCE, from Oni, reviewed today...

Personally, I'm about to go on vacation from my job.

/Mason

Heading into the homestretch... Frank Beddor's THE LOOKING GLASS WARS gets an accompanying soundtrack... and the Waiting Room has it.

Listen and learn.

/Mason

Reaching mid-week... TALENT brings its tale of conspiracy and survival to a close, while ENIGMA CIPHER gets its own underway...

Take a gander.

/Mason

Every year around this time, I try to spotlight a truly great piece of graphic literature, one that would make a suitable gift for a traditional or non-traditional comics reader alike. This year, that book is David B.'s EPILEPTIC, a modern classic in its own right. This summer, it finally moved from hardcover to trade, and I have all the details right here.

/Mason

Monday... a young superhero's powers begin killing him from within in MELTDOWN, and Robert Kirkman's heavily populated INVINCIBLE UNIVERSE gets a HANDBOOK...

Two Image reviews, submitted for your approval.

/Mason

CWR WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA

Welcome to the latest edition of the BLOG EXTRA. This week, two from our friends at Viper Comics, keeping it real down in Texas.

DEAD @ 17 #2 is written and drawn by Josh Howard, of course, and it kicks the plot into high gear. Against what I thought might happen, indeed young Asia does meet her maker after last issue’s car crash, and than makes her return as a cute, undead ass-kicker. Her first act: to make the man who caused the crash pay, for both her death and for beating up her mother. But bigger things are at work in the DEAD world, as a new series of demons is heading to Earth in the form of a meteor shower, and two sets of bad guys begin facing off for their respective masters. This incarnation of Howard’s universe feels a bit more wide-open, character-wise, and there’s a grander ambition to the story he seems to be telling. My one qualm with the book is that there are only eighteen story pages, the rest of the book filled with a page of letters, a page of picture of girls dressed as Asia and people with DEAD tattoos, and a lengthy preview of Howard’s other Viper series, THE BOOKS OF EVE. A bit more story content would go a long way towards enhancing your purchased value.

Jason Burns writes, and Ron Chan draws, A DUMMY’S GUIDE TO DANGER #3, the penultimate issue of the series. When last we left Alan and his dummy, Mr. Bloomberg, they were being arrested by LAPD for the serial murders taking place around the city. Now, their nemesis, Detective Boyd, has them right where he wants them: at his mercy. From beatings from one of the dead girl’s bodyguards to leaving the pair in the desert to die, it only gets worse for Sirois. But things really kick into gear when the killer invades their home and takes a horrific souvenir, leaving behind evidence that someone Alan cares for might just be involved in the crimes. Burns really ratchets up the pace and intensity here, bringing all his story elements together and putting the pieces in place for what promises to be a rousing conclusion. This has been a terrific series from page one, and might just be the best book Viper has produced in 2006. Definitely worth your time to seek out.

That’s it for this week. See you through the week for site updates, and back here next weekend for another edition of the BLOG EXTRA!

/Mason

Closing the week: something for the political and social thinker: Keith Knight's ARE WE FEELING SAFER YET?

Enjoy your weekend.

/Mason

Thursday: something for someone who loves the classics. Fantagraphics is bringing the original, classic POPEYE strips back into print and they're great!

Go read about 'em.

/Mason

Continuing our week of books for everybody, we turn our attention to young female readership, as TOTALLY SPIES makes the jump from Cartoon Network to graphic novels.

Stocking stuffers, anyone?

/Mason

My favorite manga: no doubt about it, it's NODAME CANTABILE.

Go see why.

/Mason

A bit of a theme week starts today, as I take a look at books that are good for all audiences. First up: A BIT HAYWIRE, a cute look at a young boy who gains superpowers that he can't quite control.

Suitable for all ages.

/Mason

CWR WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA

Welcome back to a new edition of the BLOG EXTRA. This week, two from Harris Publications, home to comics’ sexiest vampire, Vampirella!

VAMPIRELLA INTIMATE VISIONS: JOE JUSKO #1 is sort of the comics equivalent of a special edition DVD. The book reprints VAMPIRELLA: BLOOD LUST #1, which was written by James Robinson and drawn by Jusko, and along the bottom of the page, Jusko provides commentary about how he designed and painted the art. There’s also a lengthy interview and sketchbook at the back, as well as a step-by-step look at how Jusko goes from a sketch to digitally painting a cover. This is a nifty idea, for many reasons, and Jusko is an excellent artist to put through this process. As a side bit of fun for me, VAMPIRELLA: BLOOD LUST #1 was the first comic ever sent to me for review by a publisher, eons ago when I posted reviews on Usenet, so this was an unexpected blast of nostalgia. Back then, I was working from black and white photocopies, so it was a treat to finally see the book in color and on nice paper.

Multiple writers provide stories for artist Mark Texeira in VAMPIRELLA PRESENTS: TALES OF PANTHA, a trade paperback collecting the cat-woman’s best under one cover. Pantha was a product of one of comics’ darker eras: the rise of the “bad girl” character. The “bad girl” was known for wearing very little in the way of clothing, kicking a lot of ass, and twisting her body in poses only seen in the pages of HUSTLER. Real stories with plots and logic were hard to find in that era, and this trade gets off to a weak start because of that very phenomenon. Mark Millar pits Vampirella against Pantha, but there’s very little story to be had, just gore and cheesecake. However, the rest of the book is actually filled with sincere work. Writers David Conway and Steven Grant build a mythology around Pantha and give her adversaries that work within that mythology. Dan Jolley also contributes a terrific piece that uses Pantha for perfect effect and delivers a gut punch of an ending. These last bits are a perfect example for writers: a cheesecake book can work and be perfectly readable if you provide compelling character moments and plots worth the time to read. TALES OF PANTHA, minus Millar’s story, succeeds in doing so.

That’s it for this week. I’ll be here through the week for site updates, and back again next weekend with an all-new CWR WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA!

/Mason

I dunno about you, but I'm grateful the week is finally over. Today: a look at MOUSE GUARD #5, the penultimate chapter of David Petersen's indy smash.

Plus: the trailer for PVP: the animated series. Go see.

/Mason

Pop on over today as we close out November with one more Aisle Seat! The STUDENTS OF THE UNUSUAL FILM FESTIVAL has hit DVD, and we have it. Come check it out!

As clever promos for a comic go, this is a good one.

/Mason

Make your hump day a little happier with the bwa-ha-ha antics of PLANETARY BRIGADE: ORIGINS...

Laugh til it hurts.

/Mason

Zombies vs. samurais and ninjas= killer idea. ZOMBEE= not quite as killer execution. Learn why a studio should pick it up anyway, today in an all-new "Should It Be A Movie?"

Let your mouse be your guide.

/Mason

Back to work! Start your week off with two new mangas: the Mature Readers title BASILISK and the first of three incarnations of the pop culture phenomenon TRAIN MAN!

Clicketh hereth.

/Mason

CWR WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA

Welcome back to the BLOG EXTRA. I hope you and yours had a safe, joyous holiday. Jumping right back to the comics, this weekend, four selections from Image Comics:

HATTER M #4 is written by Frank Beddor and Liz Cavalier and drawn by Ben Templesmith. The first part of Hatter Madigan’s search for the missing Princess Alyss concludes here, and while the book itself is actually the best of the four issues in the series, the conclusion is ultimately aggravating. On the plot side, we get a much better detailed idea of what Wonderland is truly about, and why there are forces that want its power neutralized. After all, creativity and imagination aren’t prized by a large chunk of the population of this planet. We also get a wealth of Hatter in action, using his knife-laden hat to kick lots of Victorian ass. But what we don’t get is a real and resolute ending, which wasn’t what the reader was necessarily expecting when buying issue one. Should there be more graphic adventures feature Hatter, I am open to them, but I’d have preferred a more earned conclusion to this series.

Richard Starkings writes, and Moritat draws, ELEPHANTMEN #4. This is the finest issue to date of this title, and the first one that I really felt like I could get into from the start. A big reason for this is that the book sticks to telling one story, not two short ones, and that single tale is a strong one. Picking up from last issue, we discover the aftermath of the fight between Hip Flask and Ebony. The young cab driver, Miki, visits the two Elephantmen in the hospital and learns about their origins and the tragic fate that has befallen so many of their brethren. Miki also discovers what the Elephantmen believe will be their ultimate end. It’s solid stuff, finally adding definition to a world that really needed, and presenting ground rules the reader can grasp.

ELEPHANTMEN #0 fleshes out and delivers the full details of the origin Miki hears about in issue four. Writers Starkings and Joe Casey deliver a tragic, horrible story about the results of one man’s evil; a scientist named Nikken has created these magnificent creatures, but his arrogance works to break and destroy their minds and spirits from the moment they’re born. Artist Ladronn turns out one amazing looking page after another, and whether the setting is a lab or a battlefield, every panel is full of an astonishing level of detail. Alongside issue four, this finally puts the series into a context for the reader, and begins to bring shape and coherence to Starkings’ universe. This is a book I could see myself getting behind.

Dan Schaffer writes and draws the graphic novel THE SCRIBBLER, a rumination on multiple personality disorder and alternative therapies. Young Suki has agreed to use an experimental machine called the Siamese Burn in the hopes that it will eradicate her other personalities. But the true effects of the machine might not be so clear, as the other patients in her building begin committing suicide leaps on a regular basis, and her personality known as the Scribbler seems to be immune to its effects. But it is the effect that the Burn has on others that may lead to the greatest danger for Suki and her sole friend that exists outside of her head. Schaffer is really a gifted artist; his pages are absolutely wonderful to look at. But his grasp on coherent storytelling is a bit more tenuous; yes, this is a story about mentally unhealthy people, but the sane reader still needs for there to be some rationality behind what happens, and the climax falls short on that part. I’m just short of being able to recommend this one.

That’s it for this week. I’ll be here through the week for site updates, and back here next weekend for an all-new CWR WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA!

/Mason

It's hump day, but for the Waiting Room, the week is over. Check out two more reviews before we shut down for the holiday; LET US BE PERFECTLY CLEAR from Fantagraphics, and SEVEN SONS from Ait/PlanetLar!

Digest these turkeys!

/Mason

It's a two-for-Tuesday in this short holiday week. Now batting: ROTTING IN DIRTVILLE and HELLCITY, both from Gigantic Graphic Novels.

Peer into my thoughts.

/Mason

There's always room for Jello... and always time for manga! Start your holiday week off with a look at four volumes of IRON WOK JAN!

Prithee, will thou notst maketh with the clickiness?

/Mason

CWR WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA

Welcome to another edition of the BLOG EXTRA. This week, part two of our long look at recent releases from Dynamite Entertainment!

DARKMAN VS. ARMY OF DARKNESS #1 is written by the veteran combo of Kurt Busiek and Roger Stern and drawn by another vet, James Fry. This first issue is really mostly a Darkman tale, which is a pretty smart idea; the character isn’t currently being published in his own series, so by re-introducing his character and cast, the readers who have been buying the AOD series get necessary knowledge. And Darkman fans will be happy to see the “screen time” Dr. Westlake gets. But what makes this a worthy read for anyone who picks it up is the old school way that Busiek and Stern present the tale, and the sturdy art delivered by Fry. I’m on record as not really enjoying the ARMY OF DARKNESS book, but I was completely sucked in to what was going on here. This is precisely how to put together a crossover of this nature and looks like it should be a lot of fun over the course of the series.

Over at the main site, I made pretty good sport of SAVAGE RED SONJA: QUEEN OF THE FROZEN WASTES’s first and second issues. I found Frank Cho and Doug Murray’s story to be a little on the silly side, and the lesbian text (no subtext to be found) was extraneous. But issue #3 is a distinct improvement over the first two. Why? The writers step aside and let artist Homs cut loose with page after page of Sonja in action. Whether she’s battling yetis, or armored warriors, Sonja reads much more like the character we have come to know in her regular book, and the story gets streamlined into something that makes a bit more sense. The Ice Queen is still hot to put Sonja on her side and in her bed, but the focus comes on breaking the red headed warrior’s spirit and putting an end to her attempts to free herself and the Queen’s slaves. With one issue to go, I’m not sure whether or not the series as a whole will turn out to be a worthy effort, but I credit this issue for a fine go at turning it around.

Speaking of the main RED SONJA title, issue #16 continues the strong run by writer Mike Oeming and artists Mel Rubi and Stephen Sadowski. Part five of “The Return of Kulan Gath” sees Sonja and her allies drawn back together for a large-scale battle versus Gath’s agents on Hyboria. Gods, beasts, bards… all are in the fray, and Sonja finally faces her foe’s worldly agent, to boot. What continues to impress about SONJA is how well rounded a character she has become; Sonja isn’t just a fighter without purpose or drive here. She’s a woman on a quest, but that quest is just as much spiritual as it is physical. Oeming also shows some smarts in keeping the pace moving along quickly, as a story of length always runs the risk of becoming tedious and drawn out. There are still two chapters to go in this current saga, but it feels like we’ve gotten to them quite quickly. The art and production quality remain top-notch as well, and when you throw in the amazing covers, you understand why this is the company’s flagship title. Good stuff.
John Layman writes, and Fabiano Neves draws, XENA #4, the conclusion of the book’s opening story arc. When last we left off, Xena’s old foe Callisto had killed her and her ally Autolycus, leaving Gabrielle and Joxer alone with the villainess and stuck in the middle of a war between two pantheons. But as to whether or not even the clutches of death can hold Xena… well, she is the star of the book, after all. Snark aside, you could fairly guess at the end of issue three what was really going on, but that doesn’t mean that Layman doesn’t make the journey damned entertaining. As someone who didn’t watch the show or have any investment in the characters, I have been pleasantly surprised at how much I’ve enjoyed this book (editorial admission: Layman is a friend, but you couldn’t pay me to read, say, THUNDERCATS); Xena and the cast really come across as dynamic and intriguing personalities. I’d read a comic about these people stopping to drink a beer, let alone an action extravaganza like this one. Take into consideration Neves, who is one of the best finds of the year, and this one is simply a keeper.

That’s it for this week. Check back Monday through Wednesday for main site updates (we’ll be off for the long weekend), and be here next weekend for another CWR WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA!

/Mason

FUN FOR A GIRL OR A BOY

Papercutz Books and
the Cartoon Networks....

HEY KIDS – WIN A COMPLETE ‘TOTALLY SPIES’ PACKAGE AND… A SUMMER VACATION MOVIE MAKING WORSKSHOP CAMP FROM THE NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY!

KIDS COMPETE IN VIDEO CONTEST FOR TOTALLY SPIES! Send In Your Entry Before December 31st, 2006

New York, NY (October 26, 2006) – Calling all young film-makers! Now is your chance to show your movie making skill! If you can make a trailer for the Totally Spies, you may be the grand prize winner of a package of fun stuff!

This fall, to celebrate Totally Spies, Beverly Hills’ hottest teens mixing international intrigue, fashion and homework, coming to bookstores everywhere, Papercutz is providing a star appearance in an upcoming article to be published in every Papercutz series of graphic novels, from Totally Spies to the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew plus various free Papercutz graphic novels and Totally Spies merchandise, as available! To win, young film-makers between the ages of eight and fourteen will create a 90-second trailer for the new graphic novels, starring Sam, Alex and Clover, three Beverly Hills high school girls who fight crime on an international scale as undercover agents for the World Organization of Human Protection. The winning entry will be posted all over the internet from Youtube to you name it and for everyone to pass along to friends. The winning entry will also win many other fun prizes...such as a 2-week summer camp workshop, with the New York Film Academy!!!!...“Through working on these books, I’ve discovered just how much they mean to their fans,” said Editor-in-chief Jim Salicrup. “We want to reward the creativity and imagination they inspire. We need a cool, fun video that shows the energy and humor of this series and that it’s now in comics. A video everyone will love to death! In return, we’ll immortalize you in hundreds of thousands of books!”Entrants will make a movie-style trailer, using the artwork available to them in two new graphic novels, The O.P. and I Hate the 80s, and the Papercutz website (www.papercutz.com) by December 31st, 2006. The winner will be determined by judges including editor Salicrup. The best films will be shown on the website starting in January 2007.

Totally Spies Competition Prizes:

NYFA 2-Week Tween Workshop / Summer Camp
NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY TWEENS WORKSHOPS
AVAILABLE IN EITHER UNION SQUARE, NYC AND UNIVERSAL STUDIOS, HOLLYWOOD

The New York Film Academy is pleased to offer a two-week day summer camp programs for youth (ages 10-13) to learn filmmaking.

The Two-Week Filmmaking Camp meets Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm with a one-hour lunch break for two consecutive weeks.

*Travel and accommodations are not included; the prize winner is responsible for the travel and accommodations.

Rabble :: RAZR Cell Phone
RAZR Cellular telephone [with built in camera] from Intercasting, loaded with Rabble [ www.Rabble.com ]. Waiting on model number and image of product

Kidzworld.com
Winner Feature Story on www.Kidzworld.com
Winning video posting, webstream
See Contest information on the www.Kidzworld.com Win! (sweepstakes) page.

TOTALLY SPIES VIDEO CONTEST RULES
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. To enter the Totally Spies Video Contest write your name, telephone number, and full mailing address in an e-mail along with your 90 second video to papercutz@speakeasy.net or by mail on a 3” x 5” card and CD/DVD sent to: Papercutz, 40 Exchange Place, Ste. 1308, New York, NY 10005. Limit one entry per person. Not responsible for: late, lost, stolen, damaged, undelivered, mutilated, illegible, or misdirected entries; postage due; or typographical errors in the rules. Entries void if they are in whole or in part illegible, incomplete, or damaged. Contest starts November 1st, 2006. Entries must be postmarked by December 31, 2006 and received by January 6th, 2007.
All entries become the property of Papercutz and will not be acknowledged or returned. Papercutz (Sponsor) will award one (1) Grand Prize to an eligible U.S. or Canadian entrant. Grand Prize includes providing a star appearance in an upcoming article to be published in one volume of every Papercutz series of graphic novels and various free Papercutz graphic novels and Totally Spies merchandise, as available.
Contest is open to legal residents of the continental U.S. (excluding Puerto Rico) and Canada (except Quebec) ages 8-14 as of September 20th, 2006. Proof of age is required to claim prize. Void wherever prohibited or restricted by law. All provincial, federal, state, and local laws apply. Employees and family of employees of Papercutz (Sponsor), and its respective suppliers, parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, agencies, and participating retailers, and persons connected with the use, marketing, or conducting of this contest are not eligible.
Additionally, as a condition to receiving the Grand Prize, the winner and the winner’s parent or legal guardian shall be required to execute an assignment transferring and assigning all of his or her rights,
title, and interest, including but not limited to any copyrights or trademarks, in winner’s image, persona, name, and/or likeness, as embodied in the forthcoming Papercutz books. Winner’s parents or legal
guardians on behalf of winners agree to allow use of winner’s name, image, photograph, persona, likenesses, and entries for any advertising, promotion, and publicity purposes without further compensation to or permission from the entrants except where prohibited by law.
By participating in the contest, entrants agree to be bound by these rules and the decisions of the judges and the Sponsor, which are final in all matters relating to this contest. Failure to comply with these Official Rules may result in disqualification of your entry and prohibition of any further participation in this contest.
By entering, entrants release Sponsor and its subsidiaries; affiliates; divisions; and advertising, production, and promotion agencies from any and all liability for any loss, harm, damages, costs, or expenses, including without limitation property damages, personal injury, and /or death, arising out of participation in this contest, the acceptance, possession, use, or misuse of any prize, claims based on publicity rights, rights of privacy, intellectual property rights, defamation, or merchandise delivery.

Copyright © 2006 Marathon-MYSTERY Animation INC. "Totally Spies" is a trademark of Marathon-MYSTERY Animation INC. All rights reserved. No video of the Totally Spies may be sent in e-mail to anyone or posted to any site without the express consent of the Sponsor.
For the name of the prize winners (available after January 15th, 2007) send a separate, stamped, self-addressed envelope to Winners’ List TS Video Contest, Papercutz, 40 Exchange Place, Ste. 1308, New York, NY 10005.Sponsor: Papercutz, 40 Exchange Place, Ste. 1308, New York, NY 10005.


ABOUT Papercutz:
Papercutz is a new graphic novel publishing company for tweens ages 8 to14. Launched in the Spring of 2005 with the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, the company also publishes the adventures of Totally Spies, and Zorro. In this short period of time, it has sold over 250,000 Nancy Drew and 200,000 Hardy Boys graphic novels. With writers that include Scott Lobdell and Stefan Petrucha, and artists such as Lulu Award winner Lea Hernandez and Sho Murase on board, Papercutz is uniquely positioned to bring exciting characters and inspiring stories to a new generation of readers.

For more information about Papercutz, you may visit www.Papercutz.com.

Media Contact:
Release: [publicity_pr]
310.857.6970
Tracie Lynn Tucker
tracie@releasepr.com

Papercutz
40 Exchange Pl., Ste. 1308New York, NY 10005
(800) 886-1223papercutz@speakeasy.net


ABOUT New York Film Academy:
The Academy was founded in 1992 on a belief that a top quality education in filmmaking should be accessible to anyone with the drive and ambition to make films. The Academy opened its doors in 1992 in Robert DeNiro‘s Tribeca Film Center. Since that time NYFA has grown into their own facilities in Manhattan’s Union Square and Soho. They have also opened Film Academies at Universal Studios in Los Angeles and London UK, England. NYFA holds One-Year and short-term programs throughout the year in these locations. During the summer they offer their short-term programs at a number of additional locations, including Harvard University; Princeton University; Disney-MGM Studios-Florida; Paris, France; and Florence, Italy.

Each year hundreds of students of all occupations, races, ethnicities, and of a wide range of ages from around the world benefit from the extraordinary education offered at the New York Film Academy. Today, little more than a decade after the first students graduated, the New York Film Academy is considered one of the most prominent fixtures of film education in the world.

The New York Film Academy was designed for a new generation of filmmakers, screenwriters, actors, producers and animators who share a passion for motion pictures and want to learn by making their own projects in a hands-on, intensive program.

The New York Film Academy believes that the correct paths for filmmakers is to immediately start making their own films in a hands-on intensive working environment.

Towards this end, all students begin making their own films in the first week of all our workshops.

"Every film has a beginning, a middle, and an end... but not necessarily in that order." - Jean Luc Godard

For more information, visit www.nyfa.com .



ABOUT Rabble.com:
Rabble is a fun and useful tool that connects you with other people and the world around you using text, camera phones and location. Part blogging, part location-based personal networking, Rabble helps you find and interact with other people and get information you won’t find in the yellow pages through bits of location-tagged media.

For more information, visit www.Rabble.com .


ABOUT KidzWorld.com:

Kidzworld publishes contemporary, engaging, and original content for kids and tweens - ages six through 14 - on a daily basis. As a leading kid's knowledge and entertainment channel, Kidzworld is committed to providing an inclusive, age appropriate, online home for our users.

For more information, visit www.KidzWorld.com .

We're back! Absent due to the day job since Tuesday, the Waiting Room is here to close the week out with two questions: is SIDESCROLLERS the spiritual sequel to MALLRATS, and has Phil Hester written the best VAMPIRELLA story ever? The only way to get those answers?

Clicking here, of course.

/Mason

The Waiting Room is heading into a mid-week break for work-related matters, so there will be no updates Wednesday or Thursday.

For today: a double dose! New reviews of UNHOLY KINSHIP from NBM and the manga AIRGEAR from Del Rey! Go check them out!

See you Friday!

/Mason

Three newbies for Monday: RENFIELD, DRAIN, and HAWAIIAN DICK VOL.2 from Image Comics!

Please, for the love of all that is holy, go read.

/Mason

CWR WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA

Welcome to the latest CWR WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA! This week, part one of two, as I take an extended look at some of the latest books from Dynamite Entertainment. Let’s get to it!

THE LONE RANGER #2 is written by Brett Matthews and drawn by Sergio Cariello. I described issue one of this origin story of the Ranger as being “Batman meets Brisco County, Jr.”; it was a good book, not a great one, but there was obvious potential waiting to be tapped. Nicely, issue two makes me look pretty smart: this is a huge leap forward from issue one. Right out of the gate, we’re introduced to Tonto, and he’s a fascinating guy, a warrior who will obviously play sidekick to no one. We also get a look at the conspiracy that killed John Reid’s family, and what will drive his becoming the west’s greatest hero. Throw Cariello’s excellent art into the mix, and this reads as one of the best books Dynamite has produced this year. I was never a fan of this character, but I’ll be a permanent convert if the creative team can keep up this level of quality.

Brandon Jerwa and Mike Oeming write, and Lee Moder draws, HIGHLANDER #1, which follows in the footsteps of the original 1986 cult classic. Now, given the quality of every other piece of HIGHLANDER material that came after Christopher Lambert’s career highlight, Jerwa and Oeming had to do very little to produce something clever; however, given that opening, they wisely don’t choose to coast and phone it in. Instead, they offer up a genuinely fascinating idea: the Kurgan, one of the most evil men to ever walk the Earth, left disciples in his wake, and they are more than willing to continue doing the dead immortal’s work… no matter how dirty it might be. Their latest act was to cause the Chernobyl meltdown. Worse is that many of the disciples were recruited and created by a special Russian government project. That means long and scary odds for Connor MacLeod and the allies he has cultivated over the last few hundred years. The one weakness here is that, like in the film, MacLeod is not a very interesting fellow when compared against the rest of his cast and has yet to come to life in the comic. Still, this is solid reading, especially when factoring in Moder’s usual terrific art.

The ARMY OF DARKNESS comic won a “Scream Award” for Best Screen-to-Comic Adaptation this autumn, so hats off to the creative team for that achievement. Issues #10-11 are written by James Kuhoric and drawn by Kevin Sharpe, and continues Ash’s quest to stop Dracula from achieving true immortality and ultimate power. Throw Frankenstein’s monster into the mix, and you get an almost deliriously goofy tale of time travel, werewolves, and other assorted nonsense. The AOD comic has never really grabbed me, and I gave that some thought a while back, trying to figure out why. What I realized is that, plot and storytelling ultimately take a back seat in Ash’s world. It is the journey that counts most, and the sillier the journey, the more the book is true to its roots. Kuhoric really excels at delivering the goofy elements that make Bruce Campbell so appealing on film, and Sharpe turns in some good-looking pages. But even with the analysis, I still can’t quite find my way into the book. That’s just the way things go.

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA #2-3 are written by Greg Pak and drawn by Nigel Raynor. The first couple of issues saw Pak setting up a story that had more than a bit of uncertainty; the Galactica crew found a drifting ship that contained what appeared to be the dead loved ones of many of the fleet’s survivors somehow alive and well… including Zak Adama. Smelling a Cylon plot, Commander Adama and the rest have been more than a bit wary, but the story hadn’t given the reader much to work with. That changes here, as we finally see the true plot get into motion. And as a pleasant surprise, it isn’t all as cut and dried as you might have believed. Instead, Pak delivers a story that plays surprisingly fair with your emotions and gets much closer in feeling to the series itself. Not only do we get all that, we also get a pleasantly surprising nod to the original series. I had enjoyed the first two issues of this book, mostly because I love the series, and getting more of the characters during the hiatus between seasons was nice. But this was the first time I really enjoyed the comic on its own merits, which bodes well as the book continues forward.

That’s it for Dynamite part one! I’ll be back with main site updates this week, and back next weekend with part two!

/Mason