Archive for November, 2007

Jack Of Fables Vol. 2: Jack Of Hearts

November 12, 2007 | Trades

Jack Of Fables Vol. 2: Jack Of Hearts Bill Willingham, Matthew Sturges, Tony Atkins, Steve Leialoha, Andrew Pepoy Vertigo/DC Comics $17.99/$14.99 US (Paperback) *** 1/2 (out of five) Jack may be nimble and he may be quick, but if he’s not careful he’s going to get his butt thrown back in jail. After organizing and participating in a break out from the Golden Boughs Retirement Village, a.k.a. the prison where fairy-tale folk like Jack are kept until they vanish from the world’s memory, the hero of legend decides to try to turn his luck around in — where else? — Las Vegas! When Jack meets the beautiful, rich heiress of his dreams it looks like his life is back on track, but Lady Luck has something to say about that and he quickly finds himself embroiled in a bloody casino war that will take all of his cunning to win. The second volume of this Fables spin-off series, following the adventures of the legendary Jack (Horner, B. Nimble, or even Frost, as we find out in this book), is great tongue-in-cheek storytelling with lots of clever twists and turns.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer Omnibus Vol. 1, 2

November 12, 2007 | Trades

Buffy The Vampire Slayer Omnibus Vol. 1, 2 Dark Horse Books $24.95 US (Paperback) *** 1/2 (out of five) Some of the best Buffyverse stories ever told were actually in print. Oh, sure, the weekly TV adventures of the famous vampire slayer and her friends got all the attention, but devoted fans in the know were also reading along with some completely original and gripping tales thanks to the creators at Dark Horse Comics. While fans of the show know Buffy spent time in a sanitarium, readers of the comic book series got to go inside with her. Everybody knows that Rupert Giles became Buffy’s watcher at the beginning of the series, but readers know exactly what he had to go through to get the job. And readers also got treated to some wonderful side trips like the Slayer’s kid sister’s adventures with a possessed stuffed animal in Dawn And Hoopy The Bear, and the hilariously sadistic travels of Spike and Drusilla in stories like The Queen Of Hearts and All’s Fair. Now all those who missed out the first time around can catch up, as Dark Horse releases a series of Buffy Omnibuses, reshuffling the various issues and series so that they now follow along from the earliest point (set before the events of the first season of the TV show) to the end of the seventh, and final, year. As creator Joss Whedon, with a little help from friends, unfolds Season 8 monthly in the Dark Horse Comics series, now’s your chance to get the whole story — from beginning to end.

The Death And Return Of Superman Omnibus

November 12, 2007 | Trades

The Death And Return Of Superman Omnibus Dan Jurgens, Louise Simonson, Roger Stern, Jerry Ordway and Karl Kesel; Art by Jurgens, Jon Bogdanove, Tom Grummett, Brett Breeding, Rick Burchett and others DC Comics $92/$75 US (Hardcover) *** 1/2 (out of five) It still cracks many comic book fans up how bent out of shape the rest of the world got about the death of Superman back in 1992. Newspapers, magazines, radio stations and TV stations (thank goodness the Internet wasn’t the global force its become today) all jumped on the story, doing exactly what DC Comics wanted to happen: Driving everybody into their nearest comic book store to buy a copy. For those of us who’d read a book or two it really wasn’t that big a deal (except it was harder to squeeze into our local store for a few months). We all knew Superman wasn’t going to stay dead. Nobody stays dead in comics. So first came the big battle with the marauding villain Doomsday that led to the hero’s death. Then came the funeral and the mourning period. Next came the rise of the pretenders: Four “heroes” all wearing the “S” on their chests and claiming some part of the late legend’s legacy. After months of that, inevitably, came the Man Of Steel’s dramatic return. Wow. What a shocker. Truly, I am shocked. Or not. When sitting down with the massive new Death And Return Of Superman Omnibus, collecting all 39 issues that tied directly into the story (and released in conjunction with the new direct-to-DVD animated film, Superman: Doomsday, which borrows elements from this book), it is an interesting reminder of how mainstream readers can sometimes get caught up in the world of comics for a while and, more importantly, how things so often return to the status quo.

Hellboy: The Troll Witch And Others

November 12, 2007 | Trades

Hellboy: The Troll Witch And Others Mike Mignola, Richard Corben, P. Craig Russell Dark Horse Books $17.95 US (Paperback) **** (out of five) Mike Mignola is kind of like a stealth bomber. This lauded and legendary writer/artist doesn’t spew out issue after issue of Hellboy like a tank, instead sneaking up on you with amazing eight- and 10-page stories tucked in amongst the brilliant Dark Horse Book Of (The Dead, Hauntings, Witchcraft, Monsters) anthologies and in other forums with slightly less fanfare. Now, all those stories are together at last in Hellboy: The Troll Witch And Others, which also includes the outstanding two-issue miniseries Hellboy: Makoma, written by Mignola and illustrated by gifted artist Richard Corben. And, as an added bonus, is the all-new story The Vampire Of Prague, drawn by the exceptional P. Craig Russell. Mignola? Corben? Russell? Sold!

The Sword #1

November 12, 2007 | Comics

The Sword #1 The Luna Brothers Image Comics $3.25/$2.99 US **** (out of five) Three strangers came to Dara Brighton’s home looking for a sword and instead carved up her whole world. It’s been a few years since she lost the ability to walk, but Dara’s not letting it get her down. She’s got a promising art career ahead of her and is out to impress her college professor. When the aforementioned strangers appear to recognize Dara’s dad while he’s picking up his wife at the airport, they follow him home and invite themselves in. They tear the house to shreds and torture Dara’s dad to get him to reveal the weapon’s location, but he protests ignorance — so they begin torching the house and killing his family! They appear to have no compunctions about killing a disabled person and Dara looks to be doomed, when the floor beneath her gives way and they leave her for dead. Instead she finds herself alone and bleeding under the flaming building and face to face with a sword! When she grabs it, her wounds begin to heal and she finds herself able to… stand? The Luna Brothers, creators of such acclaimed series as Ultra and the recently concluded epic, Girls, get right back to making compelling comic books with this new modern fantasy series that promises to be another classic.

Lazurus #1

November 12, 2007 | Comics

Lazarus #1 Juan Ferreyra, Diego Cortes Image Comics $4.15/$3.50 US *** ½ (out of five) James Trout is having a really crappy 24 hours. First he’s in a car wreck and he’s pinned in his car as he’s forced to watch a mysterious man snap his girlfriend’s neck, then James gets killed himself. The next thing he knows he’s in the hospital and he quickly sneaks himself out the back door. He heads to his girlfriend’s apartment to look for clues as to why someone might kill her and gets busted by the cops, then finds himself caught in the middle of a gunfight, then he dies again and wakes up in the morgue with several very uncomfortable new holes in him. Like the biblical character Lazarus, who is raised from the dead, it appears Mr. Trout is a special kind of fish. Now he just needs to figure out why people keep killing him. Writer/artist Juan Ferreyra (Small Gods, Rex Mundi), along with fellow creator Diego Cortes, delivers a compelling debut issue and an interesting concept that is sure to have readers coming back for more.

Lobster Johnson: The Iron Prometheus #1, 2 (of 5)

November 12, 2007 | Comics

Lobster Johnson: The Iron Prometheus #1, 2 (of 5) Mike Mignola, Jason Armstrong Dark Horse Comics $2.99 US *** ½ (out of five) Back from the dead and feeling so good. While he may have met his maker back in the classic Hellboy series, Conquerer Worm, and even returned as a very powerful spirit, creator Mike Mignola and Canadian artist Jason Armstrong take readers back to when Lobster Johnson was a living, breathing 1930s vigilante in his first solo series, The Iron Prometheus. When the Nazis set their sights on an experimental new suit of robotic armour, they’ll stop at nothing to have it — unless the Lobster has anything to say about it. But when the mystery over exactly what the armour is, how it works and who’s really after it deepens, can even the legendary vigilante stop the bad guys? It’s about time this character got his own spotlight and Mignola and Armstrong don’t disappoint.

Living With The Dead #1 (of 3)

November 12, 2007 | Comics

Living With The Dead #1 (of 3) Mike Richardson, Ben Stenbeck Dark Horse Comics $2.99 US *** ½ (out of five) Zombies rule the world and will feast on the brains of any human they see — but Straw and Whip have got that part taken care of. Sporting zombie-faced masks, the slacker duo freely wander the streets of their city looking for food and fun. If any of the undead gets too close, they simply speak their language: “Brains.” All in all life is pretty good for the pair until a trip to the mall for supplies leads to the discovery of one of the rarest things around: A pretty girl. Writer and Dark Horse president and publisher Mike Richardson (The Mask, The Gift), along with artist Ben Stenbeck, offers up a horrifically funny look at the walking dead, complete with zombie survival kit (a cutout-able zombie mask) and an after-the-apocalypse recipe for chicken a la king.