I'm wary of the hype machine when it comes to reading comics, and it's been a while since I've read anything regarding teenagers that I've enjoyed without cringing at the memories it evokes. Yet Waid and Staples craft a Riverdale that's fun to visit even as it lacks the sort of deep philosophical or moral questions expected of important comic book titles. For both the jaded and newcomers, this new take on Archie offers an enjoyable respite that doesn't feel the least bit cheesy. And you know once Veronica makes her proper appearance, shit is gonna go down.

Sometimes I feel like I'm approaching burnout in writing about a comic after three issues with it, but in the case of Archie I feel very capable of continually deconstructing the ongoing activity at Riverdale. I'm bummed to see Staples leave so soon from the comic, but super glad she took this book on in addition to her work on Saga. The great news is that with Ming Doyle taking over next month, readers will continue to be treated to amazing art to accompany these fun and fabulous stories of teenage life.

Joe Querio draws some fantastic-looking demons for this issue, the best among them being the previously mentioned Japanese scientist monster. Add to that Dave Stewart's color work that give things like an inter-dimensional portal an organic feel, and just like that Mignola and company have got another fan on their hands.

Bee and Puppycat has nowhere near the artistic ambitions of some of the stronger work from BOOM!'s titles, and it shouldn't because that wouldn't be keeping in character with its two leads. Bee gets a kick out of anything, and Puppycat carries much indifference in all aspects of its life. It's a fun romp to unwind at the end of a day, and some times that all a comic needs to rock it.

The issue's final four stories are serviceable enough, focused on mild gross out humor with two and office miscommunication in the other. With punchlines predictable from panel one, it was hard to react with anything more than a slight smile as I read each one. This will probably be the last I review this comic for a while, but I'll be sure to continue picking this issue up for when things get to heavy over in my other life as a grad student.

Writer Frank J. Barbiere has got a potentially good story on his hands. If he fleshes out his characters some more, and clarifies Biochem's motives, Black Market can work its way into my rotation. Until then, I'll be rereading Kurt Busiek's Marvels for the fifth time.

Now that the comic can stop devoting time to the mystery of Ray's fall from grace, I believe that things will get better from here on out. The cliffhanger seems poised to put the characters into some peril next issue, and I hope that means that at least one of the annoying brothers will get a super punch through the gut.

Part of me feels like Barberie saw this comic as his Breaking Bad with Ray easily fitting the role of Walter White, a too smart for his job guy who slowly descends into darkness (the comparisons extend further than that: Jesse=Denny, =Walter Jr x Skylar =sick wife). The biggest issue when considering this comic in light of something like BB is that unlike Walter, Ray never gained much empathy from me in the first issue. Additionally, the final few pages of exposition reveal that any empathy he had gained was entirely undeserved. Ray goes from being an unexciting schmuck to an uninteresting asshole, and that just didn't make for a good read for me.

The only reason I keep coming back to this comic at this point is the artwork, and that doesn't feel like sufficient enough motivation to stick with it much longer. Scalera does world building so well through his visuals that it feels like such a shame that we don't get to linger in the worlds he creates for more than a few issues. He has a knack for creating uniquely designed architecture and costumes for each dimension without relying while Dinisio colors this world in browns and reds to reflect the violence of this dimension's recent activities. Given Remender's promise and his great track record, I feel I can give Black Science another issue before deciding whether to keep it on my read while during laundry list.

By the premiere's end Atkinson and Fasad have joined up at Surge's oilfield, and we're treated to one of the most disturbing body disfigurations I've seen in quite some time, an image that builds intrigue in a manner that few cliffhangers ever manage. We don't know much yet about Atkinson and Fasad, but the team does a good, if not great, job of setting up a mystery that's worth returning to, if only what to see what other things pliers can do.

I've hardly touched on the plot of this book, but that's because it's interesting to follow the case along with the detectives, and to say what happens throughout feels like it'd be ruining the fun of it. Just to tease you though here's a tip. Biting.

Lastly, the lettering in this comic impressed me with the elegant technique Jim Campbell employs to let readers know when people are not talking in English. Perhaps it's been done before, but the way Campbell does the scripting of the Arabic makes me wish I was able to see the full dialogue in that language, further serving as a reminder of the dissonance between the private military officers and the people who's town they're occupying. There's so much more to go off on about this issue (OMG! the cover) so I hope my score sufficiently captures just how much I dig it. Read this comic, and then sit by your calendar and wait for issue four with me.

My only qualm with this issue was the first two pages when Dana and Aban meet up with Ghada and the Brotherhood. I didn't have much of a sense of where they were at the time or how much time had lapsed since their departure from the Carapace facility. While this is a minor issue, it does impact the sense of urgency within the issue since it's not clear whether only a few hours or an entire day had passed since the previous scene. It's definitely not something that took away from my enjoyment of this issue though, and I'm looking forward to seeing just what the hell is up with the blue eyes of Renfro and the others, and whether there actually is something supernatural lurking within the tunnels.

Every issue I get nervous that Burning will either make a move I'm not happy about that I'll have to write about, or surpass my expectations and provide me the herculean task of finding something new way to say how much I dig this comic. Fortunately, the team behind Burning Fields seem just as interested in pushing things each issue as I'm into seeing what direction things go next. Now another month to hibernate before the penultimate issue.

Burning Fields comes to an end next month. While I'm excited to see how the team wraps up their work on this comic, I'm definitely bummed to see it go. A comic that I picked up on a whim, Burning Fields has been the surprise standout of the year due to a creative team that's on top of all their respective games. If you've been bemoaning the lack of original comic properties, you shouldn't wait for the trade on this one. Pick up those back issues today, and get to it post haste.

That this comic is over is definitely a bummer. Its leads made the entire comic something I looked forward to each month, but more than that the comic creators were definitely all on the top of their game with this one. In a field that more often than not lauds the auteur comic creator (one that writes, illustrates, colors and letters), it's great to be able to recommend a work that instead shows how the collaborative process can lead to something the individuals couldn't pull off on their own. Maybe Burning Fields would have still been a good comic had it subbed out one of its team for someone else, but for once that's definitely not a alternate universe I'd like to visit.

I need to keep in mind that it's ok to care about coolness in the work I read. There's nothing wrong with saying that at parties when people ask why you read comics. I think I'm gonna start a support group. You are all invited. My name is Andr Habet, and Matt Fraction and Fbio Moon write a cool comic. It's called Casanova Acedia.

Add to this impressive character work, the fact that Fbio Moon illustrates the hell out of this comic, particularly during an interrogation scene with the female assassin from last issue, and it becomes more difficult for me to justify not having read previous volumes of this great series. I have no idea what turn this comic will take next (hopefully that demon makes a comeback), but so long as Fraction and Moon are at the helm, I trust it's gonna be a good time.

Perhaps the most frustrating issue with this comic is that I keep wondering how much my lack of knowledge of the wider Casanova narrative is impeding my understanding of the events here. Additionally, I'm only now getting a sense of how the backups relate to the main narrative. That frustration is on me more than the books though, and I intend to keep reading Casanova no matter how long he takes to figure out how much of a badass he is.

The end page shouldn't come to a surprise to anyone, but since my library probably won't be getting The Magician's Land for another month I'll check in next issue to see if things pick up once Adam officially the Cloaks organization. Here's hoping he doesn't end up acquiring super strength.

I'm halfway through this miniseries, so I'll probably stick around just to see where this heads. Hopefully we get an actual plot twist next issue, or at least a rabbit out of a hat. I'd settle for that.

While I don't have huge expectations for the final issue, I think Cloaks will wrap things up interestingly enough. Maybe they'll even include a trick or two. Who knows.

Perhaps if Cloaks gets another miniseries, things will pick up now that the characters have started to acquire some personality. Even if it featured the second coming of Houdini though, I don't think anything less than having my body sawed in half and the upper part forced to read through the next volume would convince me to give it a shot.

Other than the issue where some design choices confused me (Annie's eyes and the font of her dialogue are red, but her the font of her text messages is blue), this issue had very little that wasn't working towards creating a pretty captivating story. It seems too soon for this comic to come to an end next month, but with the amount of story Tynion and Donovan put into this issue it'll undoubtedly go to some strange and unpredictable places.

Tynion and Donovan have got one more miniseries to go in their apocalypse trilogy, and I'm interested to see what they've learned from Mimetic and Cognetic in order to tell even wilder and heartfelt stories about the end of the world.

Later in the issue we're reintroduced to Mrs. Sewell, the victims' surviving matriarch. As opposed to the hillbilly-esque figure from last issue, here we're able to see her in a vulnerable position when she gets the news that her family has been killed. Godlweski channels all her sadness into her brow, making for a heartbreaking appearance before she loses it and briefly attacks the barrier separating her and Clara. Moments like those give me some hope that the book's cliffhanger doesn't end up devolving into some cowboys vs Native Americans crap. This comic has already proven that it's beyond one-dimensional characters and stereotypical depictions. Now all it has to do is not screw it up. No pressure.

Copperhead continues to be a uniquely illustrated comic that I look forward to reading each month with a pacing that never stalls, and characters who seem rich for continued exploration. Although the final cliffhanger wasn't much of a surprise, it'll be interesting to see whether the Sewell massacre mystery ties into other shenanigans going on in this outbound town.

While the first issue of Divinity was a fine setup to a new comic property from Valiant, the follow-up shows the diverse range of tones the publisher can achieve. I'm looking forward to finding out what Divinity's ultimate goal turns out to be, but even if all we get is more of the incredible art by this team, I'll be with it til its end.

If I have any complaints with this issue it's the means by which Ninjak wakes himself and the other members from the false reality Divinity drops them into. The repetition of concentrating on your breath, and the ease of executing the technique made it a pretty hokey concept I couldn't get entirely behind. I did like how those pages were framed through captions from Ninjak's journal, doing a great job of making sense for me why this ninja can hold his own on a team comprised of powerhouse figures. The final page confused the heck out of me in the best of ways, and I'm confident Kindt has much more to unleash in Divinity's conclusion.

The art team does some astonishing work this issue on both the personal and epic scale. Watching Divinity respond to his deceased wife's plea to return to death hurts in the right way. Similarly, the panels of Divinity's lush planetoid crashing to the desert floor worked really well to wrap up Divinity's initial tale as a messiah figure. In his absence, paradise immediately falls apart, and it'll be interesting to see whether his return will result in another attempt at harmony, or a change of philosophy involving all out death and destruction.

I was hoping to enjoy Doberman much more than I did. Pulling off humor in any medium is pretty difficult, and I commend the team for giving it a go. Until more work is done to surprise us though, Doberman isn't likely to be remembered as one of the great comedic titles of the year.

I may not get to Drive the movie for another few years, so I'm glad I've got this comic to tide me over until then. Although crime comics have become pretty vogue recently, I haven't taken to any of them the way I have towards Drive. Through its intriguing leading character and unique look, it's definitely a comic I enjoyed much more than I initially thought I would. And now that the proverbial crap has hit the fan, I'm looking forward to seeing where this modern Western takes me.

Genius may not end up breaking new comic ground, but it's great to at least see creators attempting something not often seen before. Whether Destiny becomes as famous Khamala Khan is yet to be determined. However, with the threat of a coup next issue, I'll be certain to check out how Destiny handles it all next week.

While Genius falters on a storytelling front, the comic continues to ooze atmosphere. Richardson excels at character designs that cover a wide range of looks, making each of south central LA's residents a unique individual. Kudos to him as well for making a young Destiny look badass, if strangely sexualized, as she holds target practice on a Mr. T action figure. Additionally, the decision to illustrate the bass notes once the party gets started adds an auditory element to the comic that doesn't seem forced at all. In the wake of recent events in Ferguson, Genius has the potential to be the rare independent comic that strikes a chord with non comic readers. If Bernardin and Freeman finds a way to transfigure his caricatures into characters maybe he can still pull it off, but chances are that that's not happening.

As a person with little knowledge for the Mignolaverse, I definitely recommend checking out Hellboy in Hell even if you don't care to read the stories that preceded it. This series gets to the core as to why this character has had great staying power. Once you make it to the final few haunting pages though, you'll really have to fight off the urge to binge read all that Mignola has done with this character.

Right now comics are in the midst of a turnover where women are finally getting the spotlight both as comic creators and characters in books. While work that offers complex portrayals of women is necessary, I also think comics like Help Us! Great Warrior have a great role to play in increasing the visibility of female comic book writers. An entirely female cast so far, Help Us! Great Warrior's loose premise and humorous tone add greater dimension and variety to the type of work women in comics can be regarded for. Not since Julie Wertz's Fart Party have I been this excited for a comic predominantly featuring body functions.

Help Us! Great Warriorinterests me for Madeleine Flores' lack of concern for plot. Instead, it focuses on using its characters to make jokes that poke fun at the Hero's Journey, something that twelve-year-old me probably wouldn't have picked up on. The issue with this as the comic's focus is that, as opposed to the premiere issue, much of what's intended to evoke laughter just left me silent, and at times, groaning. For instance, after an exposition dump from Hadiyah the sage, Great Warrior points out a problem in the narrative she tells, and then reacts in the following panel with a gesture to rub it in the sage's lapse in logic. Rather than come off cute or clever though, these two panels feel like they just reiterate a joke we have heard numerous times before. I think there is an ideal audience for Help Us! Great Warrior, but it's definitely not for me at any age.

While the action of this comic is limited to the great cold opening, Masters shows that he's more than capable of balancing the suspense and badass fighting one would expect from a Bond story. When Bond does some pretty gruesome things with a shovel, it's clear that tonally this series won't be shying away from the type of punless violence that would make Brosnan vomit out last night's martini. As my first entry into the world of Dynamite comics, this one shows them as a publisher with keen insight about pairing creators with brands that could do with trying a new spin on a classic cocktail. For both new and old Bond fans, Ellis and Master's comic does a wonderful entry into the franchise, especially for those who prefer their Bond tales less grim than the Craig movies have been. So long as the action remains part of the story and not the whole bit, I'll be checking this one out. And please, no appearances by Christmas, nuclear physicist.

Jem And The Holograms didn't win me over as a new fan with this issue, but that's ok. Once Jem hits the stage, I think the book will hit its hyperdrive with those who stick around for the followup.

Justin Jordan doesn't linger too much on the eponymous character this issue, which I thought was a missed opportunity since the comic has the most energy whenever he's in the scene. The early scene between Brumbaugh and Berry feels overly long, and does little else but establish Berry's background and Flood's difficult behavior. In contrast, the scenes at John Flood's mansion move at a great pace despite Flood's predilection for talking in roundabout and tangential ways. Now that Berry and Flood have been paired up, I'm hoping that the two rarely ever part again as Jordan hasn't yet shown that Berry works on his own. I usually try to devote at least a paragraph to the artwork, but I didn't feel strongly about Jorge Coehlo's work either way. His figures are slightly cartoonish, and I like John's design, yet there's nothing that had me lingering on the page. In future issues, I'm interested to see how Coehlo decides to illustrate Flood's dream state. Til then, I'll be working on my John

Top it off with great easter eggs for fans of 80's cartoons and comics, and signs at some heart beneath all the madness, and Kaptara has the making of a fun book for anyone wanting a break from the grimness of life.

Kaptara has officially made its way onto my gee-willickers-this-comes-out-soon list. Now that the Manton's party is all together (in what I must say is one of the most organic getting-the-band-together sequences I've seen in some time), Zdarsky and McLeod can really get these folks into some trouble. So long as they got Motivational Orb around though, I'm betting they'll be able to keep their spirits up.

However, the most astonishing reveal this issue is easily the death of a random character that's somehow hilarious despite the terrible circumstances of its occurrence. Zdarsky's writing makes me uncomfortable because it dismantles any ideas I have about myself as some sophisticated literati. When I'm laughing at the deaths of an entire innocent, albeit fictional, crowd I question my sanity in addition to Zdarsky's source of inspiration for these lunatics. I previously wrote off Kaptara as merely a fantasy romp, but Zdarsky and McLeod continue to elevate my expectations for this comic with each issue.

Last Born has a captivating lead, and a potentially intriguing premise at its center. The next issue will determine whether I'll become a regular reader.

Other than that, I'm still wrapping my head around the fact that these characters seem to change color page by page. Maybe that happens in the future, or maybe strobe lights are just really strong in some scenes. Whatever it is, I'm intrigued enough by the comic's setup to continue checking it out.

The artwork here astounds me in its laziness, backgrounds absent, and character designs recycled ad nauseam. I could go on a diatribe about the sexist depiction of Masumi throughout the comic, but it wouldn't be worth your time. I had hoped that comics like these were now extinct, but I guess there's some sad demographic that buys enough of them to merit their continued existence. Before this I had never read anything from Zenescope Entertainment, and if this issue is any indication, I don't think I'm missing out on anything.

I've read a few times that Matt Fraction doesn't think very highly of his faux Greek hexameter, but his effort really pays off by the way even small bouts of exposition become interesting under the hynotic syntax. Paired with Ward's art, the two provide this comic a feeling as though it's originating unfiltered from their imaginations. Their understanding of this classic myth and storytelling more generally exudes onto each page. I recommend Ody-C to anyone bored by nine panel structures who want to get lost in a comic's art.

The final few pages of the comic, told from the perspective of one of Queen Ene's new crew members, tell a sadly familiar narrative of a Q'af woman who's raped and murdered by a gang of men that go unpunished, the guilt of the action leading to the erection of a city of bone where Ene's crew have visited in search of a means of escape from the planet. With the brother-kings' story leading to one of my favorite issues so far with this comic, I'm hopeful that Fraction and Ward can continue their streak with Queen Ene and her crew of exploring new ways to use comics to create an emotional response that's not only fun, but terrifying and beautiful. In a word, sublime.

In a week that saw Image also publish the bawdy adult comedy The Humans, Penny Dora is evidence of the publisher's desire to appeal to a wide range of audiences. Hopefully the breadth of their risks pays off, and young and older readers manage to check out this fun and beautiful story.

A story requiring tension, Badhoon's hesitation to engage in violence becomes the crux of this opening issue, and he's forced to come to terms with the consequences of not shooting a threat. I like Badhoon despite how little we know of him. I like that he's perceptive and recognizes the smallness of his captain, being bold enough to characterize his crewmates despite being what most of the characters seem to think is the most expendable character. If I continued to read this book it would be to see how this experience transforms Badhoon, whether he's able to escape it with his humanity intact. Whatever that means.

What Descender is to A.I., Plutona is to Speilberg's other film Stand By Me. Plutona's characters may just be average teens, yet the team behind this comic makes the group's interactions compelling and likable despite their sometimes lame behavior. I hope we find out just what game Mike seems to be obsessing about.

I'm also really enjoying the backup feature written and illustrated by Jeff Lemire that shows us the events leading up to Plutona's death. In just two pages, Lemire effectively uses these flashbacks to show us Plutona's personality and struggles, which lends her death a greater amount of sadness as we recognize the benevolence with which Plutona acted. I'm curious to see what these backups lead to as the series progresses, but I'm much more fascinated at Lemire and Lenox's continued exploration of these children as they deal with the consequences with their discovery and the inadvertent risks their sure to draw to themselves. Like Neil Gaiman's Ocean at The End of the Lane, this comic is about children but may not exactly be for children. Through this comic, adults of all ages are able to reflect on catalytic moments where they also were pushed out of innocence, a meditative gift that I'm grateful to Lemire and Lenox for providing.

Pop is a book that you ought to just walk pass on your next visit to your local comic book shop. Better yet, if you see it at one, do your comic geek colleagues a favor and move it behind that stack of variant cover X-Men comics no one has touched in years.

There's a lot more I can say about why Pretty Deadly is one of my current favorite comics, but I'll leave that for future reviews. If like me you hesitated in checking this out because of its Western setting, I definitely think you ought to give a shot and be surprised by how engrossing this comic is regardless of how you feel about six-shooters and chaps. For a book largely about death, this comic has a ton of vivacity to it that makes each page worth mulling over long after you've read it. Death is at the door once again. Say hello.

Although nothing really spectacular occurs in this issue, it's evident that Tobin has some pretty grand designs for this story. If he and Ferreyra can pull of a balance of sci-fi philosophical introspection and horror, this may be the rare comic book movie property that acquires fans of its own.

The last page warrants checking out the follow-up issue, if only to see what Ferryera comes up with next. That, and to see just what the hell that Geiger gun can do.

Currently, I have no idea where things are gonna head for our characters in this arc and that's just the way I want things. Given how dark and intimate the last arc was, I'm hoping that Zdasrky and Fraction continue to play with the tone of the series. My personal hope right now is that the arc culminates in an Oceans Eleven-type heist that sees Jon and Suzie lead a gaggle of sex criminals on a caper against the sex police. However, I'm certain that Fraction and Zdasrky have something much more ingenious in mind.

You should read this comic whether or not you like comics, know what comics are, or even if you don't give a hoot about sex in its many permutations. This is a comic that makes you feel less alone if you're the right reader, and this issue in particular will hit you in your belly, and heart just as much as your groin. And all of that happens prior to the #dickduck.

With Kate's proposed plan at the end of the issue, most other comics would probably call it a wrap once the Kristopher siblings and their friends pull it off. So far though, Shutter has shown that any assumptions about where its story might go should be immediately discarded or reserved for fun bouts of online speculation. This is a comic that has continuously proven that it knows how to do humor, action and heart, featuring a diverse cast of queer, gender non-conforming characters that refuse to be one-dimensional. In an ideal world, this would be THE neverending story, and I hope Keatinge and Del Duca are having just as much fun, likely more, making it as I do reading it every month.

Right now I've got no idea where this story will end up. It's a complete mystery what the newcomer's intentions are, and how his presence will play into the impending flood. Waid and Jones have got me on for the long haul with this one. I could always do with seeing a few Klansmen get clobbered.

Now that this arc is over, I'm excited to start back at the beginning once the trade is released. While the next arc won't follow Eli and Virginia, I think it won't be too far off until we get see how that last page plays out for them. In my ideal world, we'd first find out that Adam died from spontaneous combustion.

Soon enough though, Kretchmeyer tells Beth that he murdered doughnut-eating Lonnie, and suddenly things take a new turn as Beth and Kretchmeyer end the comic now aligned with this knowledge. By the last page, things seem to have somewhat settled, and all the pieces have made it onto the board. From here on out though, I'm confident that Lapham will just make Kretchmeyer and Beth's life shit. Can't wait.

We get hints about where Beth and Kretchmeyer's latest schemes are in this issue, but I didn't mind that the overall plot stalled a bit here. Issues like this are a great way for readers to gain a new perspective on the world of the main characters, and now that we can confidently say that Beth, while confident and charming, is also nuts, I'm digging to find out where she ends up dragging Kretch next.

To say how things come to a head in the issue's final few pages would spoil too much of the fun? shock? of this issue, but it ends up serving as the first time all the major characters of this volume show up at once. In addition to the death toll at issue's end, it's clear that some allegiances have shifted and plans have been set in motion that will lead to an overturn in Baltimore's criminal underground one way or another. Damn, this is good. Read it.

I don't feel like there's much more that I can say without repeating previous reviews. Lapham knocks it out with killer dialogue, pacing, and facial expressions like he always does, creating one of the most badass scenes when Beth lays one on Rose right after Rose opens the door. While the story continues to surprise me with each issue, it's no longer a shocker when an issue of Stray Bullets floors me. Lapham could do with a stinker or two to give me some new material to write about, but instead I'll bow out of my reviews for Stray Bullets and keep on reading it with all of you. Yes, even you person who has yet to pick up a single issue. Big mistake, dude. Big

The issue's end puts into question whether Monster will act as an additional obstacle for Beth and Orson's plans. Whether with or against them though, it seems unlikely that this volume will end without Monster bashing in at least one more head.

Stray Bullets: Sunshine and Roses features no zombies, aliens, or demons, and yet it's easily one of the most terrifying and unnerving comics I dare myself to read each month. There is no evil in this book, just betrayed people hurting others where it'll make the most impact. I am in love with the mayhem, and scared for what's about to happen.

The mystery about who attacked the String Divers doesn't intrigue me since there's not much reason to care about the actual Divers being hurt due their replaceable nature. The wider repercussions of the attack on the string are of slightly more concern, but even there we're not given a greater reason to care about the effected people in the end other than we ought to innately care about other humans. String Divers might interest others willing to try out new team books. It offers up a pretty bright story about an avenue of science not thoroughly explored in popular culture. If the characters can get a little more complex in future issues, this could definitely join the class of fellow sci-fi romps.

From this brief glimpse into Stumptown, I don't think I could recommend it to a reader open to all genres and types of stories. There are just too many standout comics right now, some from Rucka himself, to recommend just a decent one. However, for someone looking to fill out their pull list with a contemporary detective story, there's little reason not to recommend Stumptown. Detective stories are a dime for maybe half of one, but Stumptown has got emotional heft and PDX jokes going for it.

For a second there, I was getting concerned that Dark Horse's most recent original properties were all turning out to be duds. Thankfully, Sundowners shows that the publisher and its creators still have some interesting ideas at work. If the team's mission clears up next issue and Shreds meets a timely end via strangulation, this could turn out to be a winner for them.

Sundowners may still turn things around as Seeley starts providing more about what's going on in its world. However, I don't think I possess the patience required to sit through another issue at the moment, especially since Jim Terry's art fails to make an impression this issue with the exception of one great moment for Mr. Outsider. If you crave a convoluted mystery in small doses then this may be for you. For others like myself though, it may just end up being something I read in trade form at a bookstore someday.

Although I'm hesitant to say that things are sure to only get better from here on out for Tim Seeley and Jim Terry's comic, this issue bodes well for its immediate future. So long as the comic continues with this level of focus on its story issue by issue and further develops its characters in nuanced ways, it could make a return to the stack of comics I countdown to reading.

Sundowners has been a tough comic to read at times, but now I'm sold on the world and its leads. It took some time for Seeley and Terry to find their footing, but now they're off at a pace that will certainly bode well for upcoming issues as the invisible hoards invade Chicago.

What I particularly like about this comic is that it doesn't try to bash over kids with moral lessons, and instead puts the focus squarely on a romp with the four bros. Additionally, it doesn't try to pull off those desperate appeals to adults in the manner that cartoons and other children's comics sometimes do. I probably won't check this book out again for myself, but it's good to know that for my cousin and others his age the Turtles are doing just fine.

The Bigger Bang is a surprise find in a week full of great comics. Its creators have taken what seems like a pretty big risk artistically, and I hope it pays off for them. When a comic starts off with space castles and space whales, it's thrilling to think of what'll come up next for Cosmos.

I don't care where this comic goes from here so long as the creators continue giving me twenty-five pages of spacey bliss. If I end up falling in love with its characters, that'll just be a bonus.

Despite not enjoying this comic less with issue, I'm still captivated by the world these two creators have invented. With no concern for Warren Ellis style sci-fi realism, Kirkbride and Gogtzilas allow their characters play in space the way we once envisioned we could as children. There's enough going on in the world that's more real than it ought to be, and while the emotional turmoil in The Bigger Bang has its Earthly counterpart, I have little doubt that things will turn out well for Cosmos, and that certainty is just, well, nice for a change.

A great end to a comic that's been consistently fun to read, I'll be sure to pick up The Bigger Bang in the trade form as its fairy tale and silver age comic qualities provide its reading a level of comfort not seen in other contemporary comics. It will make into circulation with other books that I stumble into on sleepless nights, working as an access point into dreams of space whales.

I go back and forth on whether to write about bonus content when assessing an issue, but just wanted to mention how much I dig things like Keller and Neely curating a soundtrack for this comic that they make available on Soundcloud. While we only get a brief intro to the world of The Humans, I get the sense that Keller and Neely are gonna ratchet the action up to dizzy heights while delivering a satire of 70's West Coast culture.

Much of The Humans' unique style comes from its lettering, drastically changing throughout from word balloons to scratchy red texts when Johnny loses his temper to great use of onomatopoeic melodies in the later party scenes. Start to end, The Humans' roars with energy, and its unapologetic tone makes it easy to want to come back for more. Plus, I need to figure out just what the hell Skins are.

Even though the comic's main drive seems to be to tell the most insane story possible, there's some heavy stuff lurking beneath. It'll be interesting to see how much weight Johnny's past takes on as the comic progresses once it returns in May, and how that might impact the comic's tone in the future. Neely and Marshall have a rich world on their hands, and wherever they decide to take The Humans, I'll follow, trailing behind on my twelve-speed road bike.

Thinking about this series, I'm a little disappointed that I have yet to get a tattoo emblazoned on my forehead urging comic fans to check this series out. The team clearly loves making this comic, and I have had some of the most fun reading it and sharing it with friends. If you're looking for something to blast through a fifteen-minute bus ride, this is it. It'll be the most excitement you've had on a bus since you found that quarter on the seat next to you ten years ago.

The Humans continues to surprise me with the turns it takes each issue. It stands as evidence that Image Comics lets comic creators publish their visions as they originally intended. With The Humans left in disarray at issue's end, it'll be a treat to see how they recover after their brief hiatus. However, I'm still waiting for the Skins to revolt.

The Humans continues to end each issue on pages that make me momentarily envy trade waiters. This comic has no desire for readers to like its characters, only for them to understand the motives behind their actions however heinous they are. Marshall and Neely do whatever it is they want with this comic, and what they want to do is wonderful in its madness.

Possessing a level of energy the equivalent of five superhero event comics, The Humans continues to be the best month-to-month action comic. Marshall and Neely are fearless in their depiction of violence and savagery, yet make it all work thanks to having Johnny as the book's emotional core. Whatever happens to the Humans next issue, I'm hoping that Johnny can achieve some closure even if it means the death of every other Human. I feel for the guy that much.

I'm really fond of The Private Eye for a number of reasons, not least of which is that they printed two of my letters, and I'm glad that Vaughn and co.'s risk has paid off. As a reader, The Private Eye assures me that even if someday print comics cease to exists in the numbers they do that digital comics can be done in a manner that fully engages readers. With one issue remaining of The Private Eye, I'm excited to see how things wrap up for P.I. Ending with a rocket launch is a hell of a cliffhanger, and whether P.I. makes it out is uncertain. Whatever his fate might be, I'm adding his dreamcoat to my letter to santa.

The Private Eye easily merits a full reading over spring break. Sitting with a cocktail near the beach, it can easily become one of the top five memories you can thank me for later.

Things end up mostly well for the characters in this comic, but I'm happy that it doesn't try to seal things up neatly. The last few pages show that while the outcome of the final battle allows most of the characters a shot at happiness, there are yet no guarantees that it'll all turn out well, not even for Mr. Bun. And as Wilson descends in search of Tom, I'm hopeful that the story of his redemption is going along swimmingly wherever he is.

Even though we don't see him throughout, I feel like in just this introduction we gain a great sense about Dionysus' motivations as well as the weights placed on him in his new role. That's why his last scene with Laura this issue turns out to be such a gut punch, I came to like him so much and wanted things to be as simple as they appeared at the start of the issue but of course they're not. It never is in an honest story. And that's probably what's most endearing about Gilen and McKlevie's work with this comic, that even with such an outlandish premise they still manage to make it all sound true. Now if they could only tell me who killed Luci, then I'd be golden.

As much as I enjoyed this issue over the previous installment, I think the series is now hitting its stride on all cylinders, managing to take both aesthetic risk while also developing emotional arcs in a realistic manner that builds over issues. Reading WicDiv as a trade seems like it would be the wrong way to go about it. The wait each month to pick up with Laura and the Pantheon enforces Gillen's masterful script work that alludes to activities occurring between issues we're not privy to, but that give the impression that the characters are growing even when not under the reader's gaze. Plus, with next issue's cover, who wouldn't want that on their wall someday?

I'm glad that even though this arc has come to a close that the next issue is just a month away. Now that all the pieces are in place, and a few of our main characters have blood on their hands and faces, I think Gillen, McKlevie and company are really gonna start having fun with it. Oh boy.

Although this issue doesn't progress the book's major plots (the fate of Laura, Ananke's scheme, or the hunt for Baphomet), it thoroughly works as a standalone story on the trials of celebrity as well as the more universal problems bred of a rape culture that treats women as easily dispensable beings. I loved this issue for the exact opposite reason that I dug #8 (the one featuring Dionysus). Whereas that issue showed us what acceptance of one's celebrity status can provide for others, namely nonstop partying, this one showed how problematic that celebrity can be for women. If the rest of this arc pulls off this level of character development for the remaining Pantheon members, then I'm fine with Baphomet goes uncaptured for a few more issues.

I continue to enjoy issue issue of The Wicked and The Divine this arc as substantial plot and character development amongt the Pantheon has ramped up with the absence of fangirl Laura. Beyond what seems like a few character inconsistencies, I'm really digging how Gillen is building things up to an inevitable standoff between the Pantheon and Ananke who's motivations remain satisfyingly unclear. Mostly though, I'm glad I can stop playing the 'What god am I?' game since it comes off as nothing put egomaniacal when I say it out loud.

Unlike some previous issues (the remix issue, and the dance party issue) that played with form, this one's a straight up romance story. It shows readers that the wicdiv team can tell traditional stories that don't rely on anything other than stellar character work, amazingly illustrated art, and puns galore (#bapomeat).

Although the final page literally spells out the return of a major character, I'm super excited to see what Gillen and McKlevie decide to do with this revelation given how successful the comic has been since that character's absence. With 'Commercial Suicide,' The Wicked & The Divine showed how the use of guest artists doesn't have to equate to a dip in art quality, or that large-scale aesthetic changes hurt a book's overall tone. By getting guest artists at the top of their work with distinct art styles that complement the spotlighted characters, readers like myself were introduced to some great work. The world of #wicdiv itself has grown and benefited from its expansion into an ensemble narrative, and so too has its narrative greatly benefited from the inclusion of creators who are able in their own way to get to the core of what makes these gods enviable, and also what still makes them human.

Shout out to Jordie Bellaire and Fonografiks whose colors and lettering respectively are so far the best parts of this book. Damn can Bellaire color a study.

That probably sums it up best for me, this comic is desperate to be taken seriously, and knowing Stephenson's other work, it's clear that he can do better. Maybe They're Not Like Us will reach the heights of Nowhere Men. That would be really great, but until it does I'll just reread my Nowhere Men trade again.

It's always a bummer when a comic doesn't satisfy me, but luckily it doesn't happen too often. Venture won't deter me from checking out work from more monthly titles from independent publishers. However next time I think I'll try to preview a page or two before just in case I'd be better off spending five minutes trying to determine whether it's a two or three coffee sort of day.

Virgil doesn't feature lengthy monologues about the history of homophobia in Jamaica, but it's actions say volumes about the oppressive forces faced by people there. Ending on a quiet note that would probably be unlikely in a real world setting, Virgil provides a hero for a heavily marginalized group and brings light to the fact that we have so much further to go.

For a second issue, Wayward isn't wasting any time getting to what the comic will be about. Not only are people basically flying already, but it's also certain now that once this first arc is over Rori will have an eclectic supporting cast. Whether this title will function better with less exclusive focus on Rori is hard to say, but I wish Ayane would make her return next issue. Cross fingers.

Cummings' work this issue continues to succeed in conveying a wide range of emotion for these characters. However, I found the fight scene in this issue too reminiscent of generic 90's anime in its use of an uninteresting and vacuous enemy who lacked any personality. If the fox spirits' brief appearance in this issue is any indication though, I think things will get a lot more enjoyable for readers at the Monster Mashers' expense next issue.

Exploring Japanese mythology in a contemporary setting is a refreshing concept, but simply relying on that to intrigue an audience doesn't bode well for my continued interest in Wayward. Hopefully Jim Zub can get back to Rori's personal story. Otherwise I think I'm taking a one-way ticket away from Tokyo.

This is the last I'll be reviewing this book for some time, and it's such a beaut due to both Zub's art and Tamra Bonvillain's coloring that I hope it sticks around for a while. Cummings has imagination to spare as evidence by the world and characters he's co-created with Zub, and its evident that this world is full of future stories that should be told. Whether they have a chance to exist will probably rely on readers caring about the fates of Rori and the others. Right now, I don't give a damn.