Dark Horse suggested this book to fans of "Trigun," and in another life I was a huge devotee of 1998 anime series, so I jumped on this and was beyond pleased. My expectations were middling, but Horton and Dialynas vaulted over them with Olympic grace. "Amala's Blade" has my loyalty for this four-issue run and I even like it enough to hunt down our young assassin's other appearances. 4 stars""buy it.

There's nothing technically wrong with the book: It's a solid origin that reinvents the character without completely jettisoning what came before, though the art falls a little short in capturing feeling of "otherness" I've come to expect from the title. But, hey, we're treated to a few panels of a "The Greatest American Hero" homage which alone earns it a bluebillion points of good will. Pick it up if you missed out getting in on "Animal Man" last year and need a good jumping-on point. Three and a half stars.

I give Jeff Lemire a lot of credit for a lot of things and issues like this are why. He's telling an engrossing superhero crossover story with tons of characters without losing focus on the driving dynamic of "Animal Man," namely the Baker family. That's what sets this book apart and will keep me coming back to it even though I've kicked to the curb most other cape books""buy this book. Five stars.

"Battlestar Galactica" #1 filled a campy, space-opera-sized hole in my heart. It suffers, of course, from having to introduce the original series to readers who may be more familiar with Edward James Olmos, Jamie Bamber and Katee Sackhoff as Adama, Apollo and Starbuck respectively. This first issue wasn't stellar, but it was a solid effort and looks like it might build into something interesting. If you liked any iteration of BSG, then check it out (except "Galactica 1980"""if that's your favorite, then you stop reading and go contemplate your errors of judgment); if you stick around for a couple of months your devotion may be rewarded.

I don't love this book by any stretch of the word, but it's really trying and I can honestly see it being much better in a few issues. I'm going to stick with it until the end of this arc and, if you're a fan of the property and have a few extra dollars in your pocket, then you should, too.

This is truly an excellent jumping-on point for the book. Wondering why Conan's on a boat? Doesn't matter; he's enjoying himself and that's all that matters. My one complaint with this issue was the decided dearth of action""it's definitely more of a talkie""but it's made up for by the fantastic images and the well-written hook that's reeled me in for the rest of this arc. 3.5 stars.

A story told wonderfully. Because of my fondness for the property I read through the issue a few times looking for holes to poke in the story, but I couldn't really find any. It hits all the beats and keeps me turning page after page to get to the source of this mystery. The cliffhangers are enticing enough to keep me coming back every month, but not so edge-of-my-seat frustrating that I've considered waiting for the trade to read a bunch in one go.

This was a good issue that moved things along and, thankfully, didn't spend too much time with Barnabas and Julia rhapsodizing over the cure. It did, however, get a little too overt with their unstated and unrequited romance, but I'm more than game for that kind of character growth after 40 years. It's a very solid issue despite my qualms with the art, it's kind of an in-betweener""The Children arc is officially over, but the new story has yet to get moving. Maybe wait another issue if you're not already reading the story. 3 stars.

I seriously considered dropping the book hafted last issue's art debacle, but I'm all about second chances these days, so I gave this one a whirl and I'm glad I did. After this installment I'm in for a pound on this murder cult story line and eager to see where it goes. It's one of the laws of the Dark Shadows universe that Barnabas always happens to be cured of vampirism when it's most inconvenient for him to be a normal human and I really want to see how this one gets resolved. Jump on board the Dark Shadows love train with me and pick up this issue.

Recently I had gotten tired of "Dark Shadows" and even skipped the past couple of issues, but this one's reinvigorated me and the next few issues promise to have some good action coming up. As always, this series is an acquired taste, so you may have to try a few issues to really get the flavor, but you'll probably enjoy it if light Gothic horror is your thing.

I'm going to stop reviewing this title. I love it. You should love it. I've run out of things to say otherwise. If you're not sure about horror as a genre for comics, then this is a good title with which to give it a try; and, really, this is kind of "horror lite" anyway. If this is your first issue of "Dark Shadows," go back and pick up the last three or four as well so you'll have your bearings.

I was lukewarm on the idea of this book because Real "Dark Shadows" Fans like myself already know the origin story and I wasn't too keen spending lots of time on a rehash of something I already saw 15 years ago in reruns. But it's a well-told story and there are plenty of details and twists added to make the experience worthwhile even for old hands to the property. Buy it if you can't get enough Barnabas, but remember that it takes place before Julia, Carolyn and even the 100-year-old Quentin come into the picture. 3 stars

This is shaping up to be a quality story, but despite that it's still looking likely to be your typical high-fantasy tale. If you're a huge fan of "Dragon Age," then you're going to want to take a look at this, if not , then it's going to read as generic, but that's not knocking the quality. I give it 3 stars.

If I'm being honest with myself I'll probably read one more issue and then not be driven enough to keep reading, but that's my flaw and not the book's. "Flash Gordon: Zeitgeist" #8 is a great issue to grab if you're looking for something a little different from your pulp scifi "" like I said, I was pleasantly surprised to get something other than what I expected. At the very least be like me and pick it up to see if it's something you might be interested in. 3.5 stars.

For my money, Chuck Dixon's "G.I. Joe" is simply one of the best books available right now, so the lull of this issue shouldn't be seen as something inherent to the title. This book has done a lot to shake up the G.I. Joe mythos and give it a lot of verisimilitude, so, consequently, it can feel like a letdown when an issue is just "great" and not "tremendously fantastic." I've not doubted this book since it re-launched and I'm not letting one mediocre experience sour the title""it's worth reading even if it's not the shiniest gem in the chest. Pick it up if you're a Joe fan, but you can easily wait until the next issue to start a new arc.

Martin Morazzo's art truly shines, though, with vistas. There's an island-sized agglomeration of garbage in the Pacific and, surprisingly, it's the most beautifully rendered thing in the issue the few times we see it.BOTTOM LINE: NOT MY CUP O' TEA, BUT YMMV

"Great Pacific" will never be my favorite book, but if future installments can maintain the pace of issue No. 2 with a cool twist or sea monster here and there, then I'll definitely add it to my informal list of occasional reads. This was a good issue that told an interesting story, and I would encourage anyone disaffected by the first issue to check out this one. Openings sometimes suffer by the sheer weight of what they're trying to accomplish-invent a world, introduce and establish the characters, provide an interesting situation or predicament-but it's nice to see a book recover from that initial stumble and settle into what looks to be a nice trot. 3.5 stars.

The Green Hornet is an unreconstructed 1930s pulp character and, as such, he doesn't fit well into the modern world. Perhaps I'm prejudiced, but I can't square the Hornet with a world of cell phones and Internets. I'm going to try to get the next issue and start fresh with another story line in case I've misjudged the book. Taken as a single issue, though, it's got fun action and street-level super heroics, but it's only worth picking up if you've been following the arc or are at least a fair-weather fan of the title. Two and a half stars.

In the interest of full disclosure, I'll say that I've not been hot on traditional cape books for the past couple of years, so that may well be coloring my opinion. If you live and breathe the Justice League and its assorted heroes, then you're mileage may vary. Pick it up if you're already invested in Green Lantern generally, or Kyle specifically. Otherwise it's just a whole lot of "meh." Two stars.

I went into this book with two major questions: What sets this apart from "Invincible" and will that be enough to make me buy it in addition to "Invincible"? After two issues I still haven't made a decision and, fortunately for Image/Skybound and unfortunately for my wallet I'll likely need another issue or two to make up my mind. It's an enjoyable book, to be sure, but there are a lot of enjoyable books out there these days and you really have to be something special to rise to the top of an already crowded pull list. "Guardians of the Globe" has potential and aI hope it lives up to it.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first issue of this mini, but wasn't totally sold until this one. I wouldn't mind seeing an ongoing grow out of this If the next couple of issue can hold up, but it would likely lose some of the magic if Eternia is reverted to its status quo. This book, like some other 1980s-based titles, is taking poorly written, toy-hawking premise and turning it into a grown-up, three-dimensional work we never could have hoped for on television. Buy this series if you're a man child He-Man fan, or if you just have fond memories of watching the cartoon from your high-chair""you'll enjoy it. Four and a half stars.

I am predisposed to enjoy (almost) any book involving John Constantine and this was not an exception. Even though I was largely in the dark about the events of the arc's previous issues I didn't experience too much of an entry barrier to the story. Any given issue of "Hellblazer" can be enjoyed as long as you remember two givens: "Constantine gets sucked into screwed-up events" and "He goes on to make them infinitely worse before they get better." This issue reminded me how much I love this character when he's doing his own thing and not running around with Justice League Dark. While I heartily recommend this issue to anyone reading, I also suggest you go ahead and pick up the preceding three issues in the arc. Once you read this one you're going to want to get them anyway.

As I said, this is a fine issue if you're already a fan of "Invincible" and are invested in the current storyline, but it suffers from a bout of mediocrity. If you're looking to jump back into the book in anticipation of issue #100, then maybe wait until next issue. I just expected a little more than Kirkman was offering this time around.

This is a first issue, but it doesn't read like one considering its path to publication and the storyline from which it launches. Rather than having its own, independent existence it felt like the second part of one of those CSI crossover episodes where the first half of the story takes place in Las Vegas and then, bizarrely, they have to go all the way to New York to get to the bottom of things. Maybe not exactly like that, but you know what I mean. I want to keep reading this title, but I'm an honest person, so I'll tell you right now I probably won't"more likely I'll wait for the trade. I've got "Invincible" fatigue and this book is its latest casualty.

This isn't a bad book, but it's wholly average and I still haven't discovered its raison d'tre. Last month I said issue No. 1 was boring and, because of that, I wouldn't be reading this one. But I decided I wanted to read about Chinese Dragon wrecking a government facility, so I made a liar of myself. Truthfully, though, my life would have been no poorer had I done otherwise. After two issues I think I can finally be firm in my judgment of this title: If monthly installments of "Invincible" aren't enough to keep you sated, then start buying this. It's not as good, has less focus and may struggle for a long time before it finds a groove, but it's not a terrible book with which to tide yourself over, either. 2.5 stars.

I know it sounds like I'm heaping on this book more criticism than praise, but "Lords of Mars" is going to be a great series; I can tell already! While this issue focused on setting up the two characters for their inevitable encounter I'm confident issues two through six will be a lot more action packed. I suggest waiting until the second issue and getting both No. 1 and No. 2 at the same time; that way you won't be strung along with the manufactured cliffhanger at the end of this issue. 2.5 stars, but I could go up to 3 if the next issue pays off.

DC has done a great job with its small stable of He-Man titles. They've taken a property that could easily descend into foolishness and managed to create some solid titles. Even thought it's a one-shot, I hope to see some of the war and other events leading up to Keldor's betrayal and descent into madness.

I found this book" interesting. Its non-linear and sci-fi elements went a bit beyond the pulpy bounds I was expecting. Typically I enjoy sci-fi in any form, but it felt like an unexpected and unwelcome house guest in "Miss Fury" #1. None of this is to say it was necessarily bad""just that it betrayed my expectations and not in a good way. As always I'll be reading the second issue to see if my mind can be changed, but at least the book left me wanting more with its ending.

This was a good issue, but I can only read an origin story so many times and still have it resonate. It's a fine retelling, but that's all it is despite a tiny innovation here and there. If you're new to Nightwing or the larger Bat-Family of books, then it might be worth your while to pick it up, but you won't learn anything new about Dick Grayson than what already permeates the cultural zeitgeist. Three stars.

Even though I'm a little miffed at the New 52"s demystification of the character, "Phantom Stranger" #1 was an engaging read, even though the story is still trying to ease people into the title. I'm a fan of these magicky books and thus predisposed to enjoy it, so bear that in mind before you pick up a copy. If you're looking for a non-cape story to read, then this is worth picking up, but I'm not totally sold yet. I'll see how it goes over the next couple of issues before I decide to drop it or keep it, but it's a solid effort for an under served character and I hope the things I perceive as flaws in the book eventually lead to some great stories and revelations.

Buy this book. If you haven't read the previous two issues, then buy them, too. I've been a huge fan of the movies""yes, all of them unfortunately, and the TV series""since I was a kid, but I never bothered much with the comics. This is exactly the kind of "Apes" story I've always wanted to read. 4.5 stars.

I was probably the wrong person to review this book given that the only "Apes" titles I've read from Boom! are "Cataclysm's" first handful of issues and, thus, lacked the background on what's going on. But I still enjoyed it. If, like me, you love the "Apes" franchise, then give this a look. At $4.99 it's a little more expensive than I usually care for, but I think it's worth it if you're a fan. Because of "Spectacular," I'm going to do some looking and see what, if anything, I can read to shed some light on this story. 3.5 stars.

This is an excellent introduction to the character of Red Sonja, an excellent first issue and just an excellent comic book overall. I'm desperate for the next installment and hitherto offer my rapt attention to this new series for as long as the quality stays this high. I tend to worry when I find myself offering too effusive praise for any one thing"surely I must be missing a major flaw"but, In the absence of any arguments otherwise I have to give "Red Sonja" No. 1 five stars. I'll see you next month, Gail.

Don't just buy "Red Sonja" No. 2, instead use it to inaugurate the title's addition to your pull list. There is no other acceptable course of action.

Might I have liked this better had I read "Red Sonja: Blue" and the main title? Probably. As much as I accused the artist of not having an emotional investment in the work, it's only fair that I confess to not having any kind of emotional investment in the character of Red Sonja; I reviewed this book, in part, to see if it were something I'd enjoy. I didn't, but that's just me. If you're a fan of the character and the franchise you'll likely enjoy "Red Sonja: Unchained," but I'm getting off at the first stop. I'll read the next one because it's my policy not to write off something after only one issue, so we'll see what happens next. 2 stars.

I missed out on Valiant the first time around""for me, the Clinton years began and ended with Spider-Man and X-Men""but since then I've read a little of the pre-Acclaim era and it was enough to pique my interest when the line was resurrected last year. Before this issue I was totally ignorant of "Shadowman," but I'm not yet a total convert to the fandom. The overall strength of the art and quality of the writing, though, is enough to ensure I check this out a few more times before passing judgment.

JMS, in my mind, has suffered a kind of anti-apotheosis. From him we received the glories of "Babylon 5" seasons 2, 3 and 4"some of the best serialized science fiction, even though a bit of their luster has been lost to time. Conversely, he also burdened us with "Babylon 5" season 5 and "Lost Tales," "Legend of the Rangers," "Thirdspace," "The Gathering," "The River of Souls" and, depending to whom you talk, "Crusade." But I could write all day about "Babylon 5" and the seemingly Sisyphean efforts he undertook to keep it on the air"all that to say I've long thought that Straczynski peaked in the 90s with "B5" after a strong career as a writer for animated and live-action shows. "Ten Grand" has forced me to reappraise the man and here I find him in full command of his narrative abilities*. I went into the book expecting the mundane but got something remarkable.

This isn't a perfect issue by any measure, but anything negative is overridden by one incontrovertible fact: This was an incredibly fun book to read. It's a fantastic example of a good popcorn comic""nothing deep, just great action adventure. I came in on the tail-end of a story arc, but still found it an amazingly accessible issue. This is probably the worst possible jumping-on point I could have picked, but you should still think about checking it out; if this is even close to par for the series, thenit's worthy of your time and attention. 3.5 stars.

It would be easy to let Francavilla's images hypnotize even the most savvy reader into loving a poorly written book, but this is thankfully not one of those. His story holds up just as well as the art and I'm left, once again, desperate for next month's installment of "The Black Beetle.". If you've not yet read this book, use the time between now and issue No. 4 to get caught up; it's a great story and you're cheating yourself if you're not reading it. The Black Beetle - No Way Out #3 earns 5 stars.

The only drawback I can think of is that the first two issues of this four-issue limited are a little slow to get the plot rolling, but I think we've reached a tipping point and, come next issue, the action is going to start rolling faster than a steam locomotive.

In the end, my problems with the book are minor quibbles about an overall delightful story. I'm no expert on the genre, but I love these pulp titles Dynamite is putting out and they've yet to make a misstep that would stop me from coming back for more. If you like The Shadow or even the more pulpy aspects of Batman, then you should give The Spider a try if for no other reason than the issue number is low and it's easy to get caught up on the whole run. This issue closed out an arc, so issue No. 6 would be a great place to start picking it up regularly. Four stars.

ProsNot your standard punch-em-up.Story looks to be building to something interesting.ConsCharacters not compelling.Purely shock-value violence.

I'm not ashamed to admit I picked up "To Hell You Ride" only because of Lance Henriksen's involvement with the story. "Millennium" was one of my favorite shows in the '90s and, with this being a horror title, I had hoped the story would capture some of the show's psychologically based horror. It didn't happen but I wasn't disappointed because this is something different and it shouldn't suffer from an apples-to-oranges comparison. This is the kind of story that will be a fantastic read in trade, but don't wait for it""this issue is the kickoff of what I predict will be some good stuff. 4 stars.

"To Hell You Ride's" second issue proves that the first wasn't a false positive""the story of Seven George and his apparent incarnation as an avatar for Native American spirits still has many secrets to reveal. I'm in for the long haul on this series and, as far as I'm concerned, Lance Henriksen can add "awesome comic book storyteller" to his resume right next to dead android and creepy ex-FBI profiler.

I had a lot of trouble following the action in this issue; I mean, I think I know the gist of what was going on, but I can't help but feel there were some details I missed out on either because someone was trying to do too much in a limited space. Granted, I didn't read the first part of this arc, but storylines shouldn't be so obtuse that a new reader is left wondering even after a thorough second reading and a graduate-level study of the recap blurb. There was a dramatis personae at the end of the book, but it would have been much more helpful had it been placed just after the recap. Three stars.

BOTTOM LINE: DON'T BUY THIS.At the end of the day I have but one question: What was the justification for giving this story a one shot? I suppose if you're a hardcore Vampirella fan you might find a decent adventure story buried somewhere in this pages, but it's mainly just " lame. I can't recommend a purchase unless you're a completist, but it's worth a try to offer your local shopkeep a dollar to see if he'll let you buy the back-up feature.

I enjoy watching Martians fight and ride around on eight-legged horses and this issue did nothing to abate that enjoyment. It was a quick, enjoyable read and made me regret not following the title more closely. If you enjoy watching Martians fight against and beside John Carter, than you should pick this up as well. Even if you don't keep reading it's worthing looking at and might induce you to follow it for a few issues. 3.5 stars.