Early in the book, the Dark Queen says, "[Cinderella] has only been granted her position of power within the horde because of Malec's soft spot for blondes with perky breasts." I can't help but think, and hope, that the writers are having a wink-wink moment with the audience. I really think Cinderella has only been granted this titular miniseries because of readers' soft spots for blondes with perky breasts.

As someone who is reasonably knowledgeable about animal rights issues, I read CC:SVU as a metaphor for a lot of the problems in our world today: outrageous stray animal populations, factory farming, genetic engineering, exotic pet smuggling, and the overall arrogance of humans concerning our animal friends. Maybe I'm thinking too deeply.Maybe I say maybe too much.But I hope that future issues of CC:SVU explore some of these problems more deeply. There's a great cost to playing around with nature, and this series has the potential to shed a light on that in a really creative way.

I've gotten lucky lately with some really great titles, and Dawn #1 should be filed in the same category. I'm really looking forward to seeing the next step in Caesar's plan and the human family's next step in surviving. They are headed for an obvious collision, and I have a feeling it's going to be a fantastic one.

Of course, it wouldn't be much of a first issue without a high-stakes twist at the end to entice us into issue #2. But really, even without the final page reveal of the shadowed figure from the beginning of the book, I'd be eagerly waiting for the next installment of this ongoing series. It's like a cocktail of old sci-fi serials and Saturday morning cartoons with a dash of maturity. It's what a comic book should be: well-drawn, well written, and lots of fun.

With Abhishek Malsuni's great artwork (especially that ape), non-stop action, and good character development, issue #2 is a definite buy. Hopefully issue #3 will start giving me the answers I want about Clark and Carter's history. I can't wait to see Carter show this fool no mercy.

As this arc develops, a few things are clear: Ron Marz is a great storyteller, Malsuni's art is a perfect complement to that storytelling, and JCWM continues to be a must read.

Lady Killer #1 is an obvious buy for all the reasons I discussed and so many more. This is a dark comedy that has plenty of dark and plenty of comedy to keep you happy. I have a feeling that Josie is headed for a real challenge, and I can't wait to see how she handles it. I also I can't wait to see more of Jones' art. Jump on the Lady Killer ride and don't let go.

I can deal with a few character problems, or a few predictable story elements. There's entertaining stuff here, and despite all the obvious content inspirations, RS1 is something unique. You owe it to yourself to give it a read.

Despite the book's overall failure to spider-walk out of The Exorcist's shadow, I'll be reading issue #2, if only to see how Torres handles Father Brennan's next challenge. There's definitely promise here; hopefully the story continues to become something unique.

Even though I've never seen a Shaft film, I came into this book with certain expectations. After all, I've seen clips and I know a little about the genre. Thankfully, my expectations were trampled in a hurry. If you're a fan of mature, believable dialogue, a complex protagonist, massive story potential, and great artwork, you will thank yourself for picking up Shaft #1.