(W) David Hine  (A) Shaky Kane

"TALES FROM THE HAUNTED JAZZ CLUB"
Red Wraith recounts three tall tales of love and mutilation. An incompetent doctor performs surgery on his beloved wife, a beatnik learns that sexual inexperience, marijuana and sharp instruments make a dangerous mix, and a woman with morbid fear of human hair discovers that a bald body can still be hairy inside.

This week was a toss up between Brandon Graham's awesome, PROPHET, and this, but seeing as how that one has more internet buzz on it than Whitney Houston, I went with what is perhaps my favorite comic of the year.

In the second series of the comic you never thought you'd see again, Hine and Kine continue to destroy the feeble minds of the fools who dare to read that which is Bulletproof Coffin! Silver age comics filtered through a lens of madness and drug abuse, it's a wonder that Wertham doesn't come floating in the door to pull it off the shelves himself! RECOMMENDED BY CASEY!

(W/A) Ted McKeever

Catfish's daily grind of "enhancing" poultry comes to a halt when he is accidentally tripped up by a loose chicken, causing him to fall victim to his own process. What proportions of his that were once human are now beyond anything normal. Add villainous corporate and military big wigs, a roller-skating weapon-toting chick named Kitten Kaboodle, a gang of tattooed babies, and there's still that enormous beach monster...
And what you have is MONDO, in all its raging glory!

Hot of the heels of his amazing, multi layered, mind bender, META 4, McKeever returns with another masterpiece of the bizarre! Seriously, did you read that solicit?! What more could you possibly want from a comic book?!!! In the immortal words of Jack Kirby, DON"T ASK, JUST BUY!! RECOMMENDED BY PATRICK!

(W/A) Hermann

The masterpiece by Belgian comics creator Hermann is available in English for the first time! A misanthropic European expatriate, Dario Ferrer, acts as guardian of a Tanzanian wildlife preserve. Accompanied by Charlotte, a naive European journalist, Ferrer discovers a village under fire from mysterious agents of the foreign-backed government. Ferrer and Charlotte must fight not only to protect the preserve, but to expose government corruption-and survive to see another day.

After years of waiting, Dark Horse is finally importing new (to us) Hermann stories, in a beautiful hardcover format! Admired by the likes of Moebius, this belgian comics master is not to be missed by anyone who longs for comics that are treated as true art! RECOMMENDED BY ERIN!

(W) Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti  (A) Moritat

Jonah Hex fights a giant bat to the death! But even with his winged foe slain, will he and Amadeus Arkham survive being trapped in a cave with the lost tribe of Miagani Indians? Hex and Arkham must enlist help - including some familiar faces and some surprising saviors - if they're going to make it out of this death trap and bring justice to the enslaver of Gotham's underprivileged children. Plus: The Barbary Ghost proves that a girl can be a gang boss's worst nightmare when she has vengeance on her mind.

For anyone enjoying the current Bat books, this brilliantly illustrated adventure book, plumbs the depths of some of Gotham's most sinister legends, including: The Court of Owls, the Religon of Crime and even the mysterious Bat-tribe from Final Crisis! Don't miss out on one of the best DC books of the new 52! RECOMMENDED BY PERRY!

(W) Nick Spencer & Robert Kirkman  (A) Shawn Martinbrough



I believe in comic books. These are the last words written by 'Thief of Thieves' creator, Robert Kirkman, at the back of the book, in a letter to the reader. He talks of how comics should be embedded into people's everyday life, the way that everyone watches movies or T.V., rather than being a hobby of a specific niche. And honestly, Mr. Kirkman, I couldn’t agree more.

Thief of Thieves reads like something you'd see on T.V. I don’t say that as a bad thing, but it's true. In a medium where suspension of disbelief is commonplace, this book takes its cues from more down to earth comics such as: Sin City, Criminal, Love and Rockets, etc; real world characters with real world problems. The idea of using a recognizable setting in an attempt to lure more timid readers is one of Kirkman's main weapons in the war to expose more people to comic books, which in theory, should work. Why can't a well written crime comic be as popular as a not as well written T.V. show? Is it just the perceived 'work' that reading something takes as opposed to letting the T.V. think for you? We are Americans after all…

Nick Spencer, who Kirkman hand picked to actually write the book, delivers a tight, engaging script filled with dark humor and a solid window in the life of a man who can take anything he wants. Plus, Spencer teaches you how to steal a car, which is required knowledge for all aspiring criminals. Ok, so yeah, maybe comics do contribute to delinquency, but whatever, Wertham's dead.

On the art side of things, veteran noir artist, Shawn Martinbrough turns out sufficiently moody, though not highly innovative, pages that work well with the script. Using a slightly standard panel layout stands to reinforce the familiar cinematic feel that first time readers can identify with, as overly complex pages would only serve to confuse and annoy.

All in all this book is another solid #1 from Kirkman's Skybound imprint, though whether or not it will succeed in bringing in non comic readers remains to be seen. Either way, I applaud Kirkman for his tireless efforts in the ongoing battle to bring new faces into the comic book world.

REVIEW BY CASEY!

3.5 out of 5 Z'S

(W/A) Gina Siciliano

We've just received another great new addition to our growing local section, the graphic novel, SUMMERTIME by Gina Siciliano. I'll let her tell you about it in her own words...

In spite of the warm, sunny sentiment that its title implies, Summer Time is the desolate chronicle of two punks in their mid twenties, one of them a bookstore clerk, the other an ex-military bar tender. As... they navigate their way through their own alternating histories of sexual and physical abuse, they spiral deeper into a world fueled by alcohol, co dependency, and self mutilation. With only ball-point pens and pencils, Gina seeks to shed light on the undercurrent of domestic violence and addiction woven into many punk scenes. Summer Time is ultimately a story about survival.



(W) Joe Keatinge  (A) Ross Campbell

"ONCE AND FUTURE," Part One
EXTREME'S ORIGINAL WARRIOR GODDESS RETURNS!
After missing for almost a decade, Glory's whereabouts are uncovered by a lone reporter, but the globe-spanning conspiracy keeping her hidden from humanity could make her return more dangerous than anyone ever anticipated! This first issue of an brand-new saga written by Eisner & Harvey-award winner JOE KEATINGE and illustrated by Wet Moon and Shadoweyes creator ROSS CAMPBELL sets up Glory's future by expanding on her past in a way promising to shock long-time fans and excite all-new readers!

(W) Ben McCool & Nate Cosby  (A) Breno Tamura

In 1962, a KGB sleeper cell was placed in Cuba. Half a century later, the cell's children are assigned to overthrow the American government. But why...and why now?
NATE COSBY (Jim Henson's Storyteller), BEN McCOOL (CHOKER, MEMOIR) and BRENO TAMURA present an uncompromising vision of the Cold War and modern terrorism.
Collects PIGS #1-4

The sold out, smash hit spy thriller from last last year, is finally available in trade paperback! For a small group of KGB descendents the Cold War is far from over, having to pick up the pieces of a battle began before they were born. Well researched with gritty, war-torn art, PIGS is a must have for anyone looking for high octane espionage! RECOMMENDED BY ERIN!