So, if you care, this is indispensable. If you don't care, you'd never think of buying this.

Michael Vance delivers a piece that will undoubtedly become a standard work of comics history. Even if you've never read an ACG comic, you'll probably find this issue very interesting.

Trust Roy Thomas to turn out a loving tribute to one of his oldest and dearest friends. The special Jerry Bails tribute issue of Alter Ego makes me wish I'd known the Professor. Jerry Bails seemed like a very unique and special person. This issue of the revived Alter Ego is must reading for any longtime comics fan. Without the Professor, comics might have been very, very different.

I love the complex morality of this comic, and how it's very much grounded in the real world. The story feels realistic, though one would never wish for a real person to go through the torment that Adam goes through. Watching Adam's journey, though, has been fascinating.

I was completely excited to read this book. The selection of stories presented in Art In Time was perfectly chosen, and introduced me to many stories and creators that I otherwise would never have read. Any fan of classic comic book art would be delighted to read this book. I know I was.

However, this book brings Harvey Kurtzman's entire career together in one place, and it makes a tremendously compelling case for the man's genius. This is a book that any devoted Kurtzman, MAD or EC fan will find indispensable.

His comics still seem as filled with passion and energy and a love for the medium, and Todd Hignite's book does a great job of spotlighting Jaime Hernandez's long and outstanding career in comics.

I'm dreading what will happen when this comic hits the Civil War storyline, but the current "Twenty-First Century Blitz" is great comics.

This book is another instant comics-history classic from the good folks at TwoMorrows. They've set a high standard for themselves, and this book exceeds those standards. I thoroughly enjoyed this survey of Carmine Infantino's long and illustrious career.

But that means that my biggest complaint about this book is that I wanted more Little King strips. This is a joyful and charming strip, a pure distillation of Soglow's view of the world, and an infinitely pleasing way to spend a few hours. It's over 400 pages of pure ingenuity and happiness, a celebration of Otto Soglow's magisterial cartooning and his brilliant command of the comics page. Soglow deserved to be king of the comics page, right alongside such legends as Chester Gould and Harold Gray. Otto Soglow was a rock star cartoonist who deserved his fame by producing wonderful work day after day, month after month, and year after year.

But that means that my biggest complaint about this book is that I wanted more Little King strips. This is a joyful and charming strip, a pure distillation of Soglow's view of the world, and an infinitely pleasing way to spend a few hours. It's over 400 pages of pure ingenuity and happiness, a celebration of Otto Soglow's magisterial cartooning and his brilliant command of the comics page. Soglow deserved to be king of the comics page, right alongside such legends as Chester Gould and Harold Gray. Otto Soglow was a rock star cartoonist who deserved his fame by producing wonderful work day after day, month after month, and year after year.

No wonder I didn't have the words to describe this book. Because it's a book that defies words. Writing about music is like dancing about architecture and all that. Great Art denies easy analysis. 

It's a real compliment to say that this issue feels like a really good episode of Law & Order. In Daredevil #83, people try to do good, try to fight for justice, but always seem to fall short. As everyone knows, Law & Order always has a twist somewhere in the plot. I can't wait to see what the twist is in this one.

In every aspect, this is a terrific comic book. The art is gorgeous, the writing is intelligent, characterization is spot-on, and the plot is intriguing. This is a damn good comic book.

Daredevil #100 is a great display of how a good creative team can use continuity. In the right hands, continuity isnt a straightjacket. Continuity is a set of memories and experiences that infuse the present with the stories of the past. Ed Brubaker expertly uses Matt Murdocks long and complex continuity to provide depth and complexity to his character. Thats why this series is continuing to be so outstanding.

Ed Brubaker delivers yet another great issue of Daredevil with this compelling and fascinating comic.

What else can I say? This comic is a goddamn masterpiece. It's a bargain at $6.99.

You can buy it now or you can buy it in trade paperback in 2005, but why not be one of the first at your comics shop to say hes read the next Dark Knight? This is the next comics classic.

New Frontier is a five star comic. Buy it. Okay? 'Nuff said.

I have to admit that I have trouble being objective about Detectives Inc. because I've loved these two stories since they first appeared almost 30 years ago. It's amazing how they became the precursors for some of the great graphic novels that have been released in recent years. There's a depth and thoughtfulness to this book that feels wonderfully contemporary--and that might be the highest recommendation I can give it.

Much of Seuss's work is strained and overly complicated--relying heavily on a kind of awkward symbolism that resists easy reading. Many of his cartoons are simply not graceful. However, when he produces a great political cartoon, it's amazingly moving. I defy you to look at this one and try not to feel moved:

You don't wish this any more than I do."

This is yet another terrific issue of Fear Agent. Rick Remender and Jerome Opena are really cooking now.

Fear Agent is generally a high-adventure, high-intensity, balls-to-the-wall action comic. And there's tons of action and excitement in this particular issue. But at the heart of this issue is a searingly intense look at the banal depths of evil that people can blindly stumble into. Fear Agent: The Last Goodbye #4 is the rarest of the rare; pure action mixed with an intense look at humanity.

For more information on this magazine, see hippycomix.com

So in the end, Following Cerebus #9 is many things. It's a travelogue and a conversation, a visit between two friends and a scientific treatise. More than anything, it's an exploration of two very interesting men, Dave Sim and Neal Adams, and any fan of either man shouldn't miss this issue.

Faulkner discusses the subjective/objective dilemma thusly:It was . . . thirteen ways of looking at a blackbird--but the truth, I would like to think, comes out, that when the reader has read all these thirteen different ways of looking at the blackbird, the reader has his own fourteenth image of that blackbird which I would like to think is the truth.Sacco expresses regret that his book may have distanced the reader from what Faulkner would express as truth. It's a fitting end to an extraordinary book--giving readers one last touch of uncertainty and intense emotionalism brings to a close this ambiguous and intense work of art.

Don't be put off by the quiet, domestic themes of this book. Ganges is subtle and complex, thoughtful and insightful. Huizenga is a master at taking ordinary situations and bringing profundity to them. I know it's only February, but the conventional wisdom is right: this is the comic of the year so far.

This is world class cartooning on nearly every possible level. Huizenga never fails to present thoughtful and provocative comics art, and this book is no exception.

Ganges #3 is really nothing but an extended interior monologue. And at that, it's an interior monologue with little grounding in reality. As such, it could have been deadly dull. But Huizenga, one of the finest cartoonists working today, brilliantly delivers a fascinating and deeply involving book. While it's not up to the transcendent levels of the first two issues of Ganges, Ganges #3 is a brilliantly conceived and delivered comic that provides a virtual clinic on great comics storytelling.

Ganges is so playful and thoughtful and nonrepresentational and so much of its own piece that it's one of the most amazing comic book experiences that I've ever had.

Under the hands of Bruce Canwell and Dean Mullaney, Genius Illustrated sets the absolute gold standard for deluxe artist biographies. There have been some wonderful comics history books released in the last few years, but this book surpasses them all in terms of its production values, its comprehensiveness and the quality of the biographical information presented. Alex Toth was one of the greatest artists ever to work in the comic art medium. This book merits the highest possible compliment: it's a worthy tribute to Toth.

It's the fact that the Luna Brothers deliberately don't answer those or many other questions that makes this book really great. I finished this issue with a ton of questions in my head. There are so many questions left unanswered. But I think that's kind of the point, and part of why this was such a terrific series. The Luna Brothers present the events clearly without telling readers either why things happen or what we should think about them. It would have been a clich and a letdown to explain everything. That sort of ending wouldnt have fit the series. With Girls #24, the Lunas present something that will continue to fascinate for some time.

I keep using the word "fascinating" in describing this book, which seems completely appropriate. This is a very fascinating book on most every level. Anyone with more than a passing interest in Bushido culture will likely feel the same.

It's a touch of genius for Gerber and Skrenes to take this series in a completely unexpected direction. Just as readers were getting used to Hard Time being about Ethan's life in prison, the writers take the book in a very different direction that hints at what might have been. No matter how well issue #7 wraps up this series, Hard Time still will be cut short just as the book was beginning to show its full potential.

Ty Templeton seems to have done the impossible; hes taken a comic that has been mainly associated with one creator, made his own unique take on the original series, and still has remained true to the original comic. This comic is lost on the stands at many comic shops because its not a mainstream hero book, but this is a surprisingly terrific comic book.

Jason Sacks has been obsessed with comics for longer than he'd like to remember. He considers himself a student of comics history and loves delving into obscure corners of this crazy artform. Jason has been writing for this site for about seven years and has also been published in a number of fan publications, including the late, lamented Amazing Heroes and The Flash Companion. He lives in north Seattle with his wife and three kids.

And of course Grist's art is impeccable. He's a master of the clean line style, with the ability (obviously influenced by Alex Toth) to use a minimum number of lines to produce work of startling depth and complexity. The bright coloring in the comic helps even more, as it adds to the feeling that this comic by a British cartoonist is a sort of merger of the best of British and American comics done right. This really is a special comic, one that rewards repeat readings on unexpected levels. Even for an all-out action comic, Jack Staff #12 gives a reader a lot to think about.

Every issue Paul Grist puts his heart and soul into creating his own unique comic book experience. Jack Staff never disappoints. Why aren't you reading it?

Like the great Will Eisner, a friend of his, Robinson was a born cartoonist who ended up being a businessman as much as he did an artist. Also like Eisner, the business influence on his art always complemented his craft as much as anything. Robinson seems like a man who just never stops doing creative work. Even at the age of 88, he is a human dynamo. This wonderful book is a terrific tribute to his long and extraordinarily successful career.

You can see below a great example of the way in which Kleist uses blacks and symbolism to present Cash's story. The singer's descent into alcoholism and despair are summed up wonderfully in this single image, and the book is full of moments like this.

I have no idea how many issues of Jonah Hex will boast the art of Tony DeZuiga, but this one, at least is a real treat.

I had never heard of this comic strip before picking up this Library of American Comics collection of it totally on a whim. King Aroo was long gone by the time I was aware of my parents buying newspapers; besides, the strip only ran in a few cities. So I picked up this collection pretty much just because I figured I might want to try something different.

As the main character says on the penultimate page of this comic, All human stories are subject to interpretation regardless of intent. McKeever presents a story fully, almost generously, open for interpretation. Its thoughtful, intense and sincere, and possesses some of the most beautifully repulsive art ever published in an American comic. You may not want to start this series with issue #5, but I guarantee that the collected edition of Meta4 will be one of the most highly-acclaimed graphic novels of 2011.

Just buy the damn thing so I can shut up about it already.

Derf Backderf did what so many of us are afraid of: he stared into the face of pure evil and did not blink. In doing so, he created a remarkable and haunting new graphic novel about life, friendship, the 1970s, and the horrible, pathetic existence of one of the worst murderers of the 20th century.

Naturally, Nextwave has to run a gauntlet to get to Dirk, and naturally they have to fight a series of crazily silly villains to get there. In a perfect example of why this series is so wonderful, Immonen is given the freedom to really show his chops in depicting the battle. He delivers with no less than six double-page spreads, with the heroes battling ever more absurd villains, from monkey Wolverines to purple gorillas to..., hell, why should I spoil it for you? Take a break from the grimness and pick up this comic. You'll laugh, you'll pant in excitement, and youll admire the wonderful richness of Stuart Immonen's art. Then you, like me, will be sad that this series is ending.

The Nightly News is a very clever take on cults, told in a way that only comic books can deliver it. Come to think of it, Halloween was only a week ago. This comic book is also a good fit for that holiday. It's a scary look at what cults can do for a vulnerable man. Living inside his brain for 32 pages was a spooky experience.

It's impossible to project where the new comic will go in its next nine issues and it's almost futile to guess. This first issue is a fascinating parallel to the original series, but will each of the ten issues also parallel the Gerber/Skrenes/Mooney run? Will we get the Hulk in issue 2, El Gato in issue 4, and the Wrench in issue 6? Or will Lethem go a different direction and make this series more his own? I know that I'm intrigued and actually kind of touched by the obvious reverence that Lethem has for the original series. It's nice to know I'm not the only one who loves Gerber's strangest creation. We'll see where this new series leads, but I can't help but stay with Lethem and Dalrymple's take on Omega the Unknown.

Omega The Unknown is a comic that almost defies analysis as a single comic. There's so much going on in this issue, so much that may or may not have resonance when the book is collected in TPB form, that the payoff to most scenes won't really be apparent until we get a chance to see the flow from issue to issue. Omega The Unknown is a dense, surreal and intense comic that will definitely reward multiple readings.

This comic is the opposite of most super-hero books. Nothing ever really happens in the story. It all happens inside the very small, insular world of a very strange young woman. And for that reason, I found it absolutely compelling. Troy Hickman does a wonderful job of making a very small story seem quite compelling. I don't know how this might read if Twilight Guardian becomes a regular series, but as a standalone comic, this is wonderful.

We're used to fairy tales telling the story of a journey by a girl from innocence to the real world. Delphine inverts the gender of those classic tales, but uses those familiar tropes to tell a familiar story. Richard Sala treads a world of metaphor and allusion, a world that feels as familiar as Grimm's Fairy Tales and as mysterious as our own heart.

I loved the audacious and unique style of this comic. Its a real original.

I have a new favorite comic. Ladies and gentlemen, it's The Savage Dragon.

There are crises and wars in this comic, but in the hands of Erik Larsen, they mean something in context, and flow out of the characters in this wonderful comic book.

Every time I pick up this book, it makes me smile. I feel nostalgia for an era that my parents would barely remember. How can you ask for a better celebration than that?

After all his years in the comics creation business, Gilbert Hernandez has reached the level of a real master. At a first pass through this comic, the story goes down easy. Its well told, clear, and interesting. But on a second reading, Speak of the Devil shows an amazing quality of craft, a deep and abiding intelligence that causes Hernandez to make smart, thoughtful choices that make the story more dramatic and interesting than it might otherwise be. This is a dark and compelling trip into the human heart, and only Gilbert Hernandez could tell this story in quite this amazing way.

I'm struck by the idea that Gus may be as much a metaphor as he is a specific character. He's presented as so much of a tabula rasa that he could represent a highly religious child thrust into the real world. I suppose that's part of what makes this book so powerful, and what makes me ache for future issues of this very intriguing series.

Lemire nails the landing in this issue, delivering a conclusion that feels completely right and appropriate to all that happened before. Despite the fact that the human race is wiped out in this final chapter, it is still a bright and optimistic view of the future. Sweet Tooth has been a classic series, and this final issue is a classic conclusion to the series.

I was enraptured in Tamara Drewe in the way that I seldom am with any book. I could not put this book down. Yes, I was drawn into the plot of the book, but I was also drawn in by Simmond's elegant artwork and by her fascinating characters.

The entire package is a pretty damn perfectly designed tribute to one of the greatest cartoonists in the world; a fantastically designed and presented look at the career of one of the most insightful creators currently working in comics. It's perfectly assembled by Alvin Buenaventura, who edited possibly the greatest magazine ever produced about comics, the astonishing Comics Art.

J. Michael Straczynski and Joe Simon are dramatically different creators, but each brings their own unique and singular vision of the Geek to the page. JMS's use of the tools of the storytelling trade are clever and intriguing in this comic, and serve to make an odd and outdated character feel interesting and relevant again.

I've been reading and thinking about Steve Ditko's work for just about my entire life, but this book added to my appreciation. I'm so delighted that we're getting reprints of these amazing stories at last; more than that I'm even more delighted that these stories are included in such a wonderful book. The Creativity of Ditko is a must-own for any fan of the man's classic work.

The Horror! The Horror! is a brilliant anthology of horror comics that has been released just in time for Halloween. Much like a character in one of its stories, I was mesmerized by this book.

There have been a lot of terrific crime comics published over the last few years, but Rick Remender and Greg Tocchini deliver one of the very finest we've seen. They present a perfectly realized bleak vision of a future America on the brink of collapse--all through the eyes of a man who is himself on the brink of a collapse. The Last Days of American Crime is breathtaking work. Literally.

And the awesome super-hero battle doesn't hurt, either.

This is a really remarkable work of comics art and one of the best graphic novels I've read this year so far. It's a huge level up by Glyn Dillon, and a tremendously exciting use of the medium. What else do you need to hear? Don't you want to read something that's extraordinary?

Now Seattle-area publisher Northwest Press has published a comic that is dedicated to the proposition that "it gets better." The Power Within is the story of an eighth-grade boy named Shannon who is treated like an outsider. He's confused and lost in school, with few friends and surrounded by many bullies. When Shannon makes a foolish decision after a bullying situation, he is humiliated in school and considers making the ultimate decision. Thankfully, he makes the right decision and moves on with his life.

These comics are clearly pre-Code tales intended for adult readers of the late '40s, or at least more mature kids. It's easy to see how a Fredric Wertham and his ilk would overlook the gleeful artfulness of these stories and instead scream for censorship out of fear for the corruption of youth. These comics are really intense -- gloriously, hilariously, over-the-top intense. And they are proof that the King of Comics deserves his accolades. This book reminds me why I'm part of the Kirby Kult.

Most every strip in the book is tremendously exciting to read. More than that, each one-to-three-page story is unique, inspiring and intriguing. For instance, this one-pager by Sergio Aragones is really exciting to read. For one thing, it's a serious story -- imagine that from Aragones -- about a horrible massacre of college students by police before the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.

They say the greatest creators are the ones who make it look easy. Will Eisner was that kind of creator. So is Darwyn Cooke. This is just simply an outstanding comic book.

And that implies the real reason this issue works so well. Much as he did on The New Frontier, Cooke does a fantastic job of quoting previous creators and channeling the charm and passion of their original stories while also making the stories his own. If youve never read a single page of a comic by Will Eisner, I think youll still love this comic simply because its beautifully written and drawn.

One lament about the America's Best Comics line has been that the Alan Moore who brought us Watchmen, Miracleman, From Hell and V For Vendetta was slumming and doing good work but not his typical brilliant work. But in this issue, Moore rises back to his classic level of work. This is a majestic comic that only Alan Moore could write.

Discharged from the Territorial Army after World War II, and with an education in art, Hampson was lucky enough to attend a church run by a very ambitious vicar named Marcus Morris. As the story goes, Morris took Hampson aside one day after a service and asked the young illustrator if he'd like to do some artwork for Morris's church newsletter, Anvil. The newsletter turned into a newsstand magazine, and the success of the magazine inspired Morris to think bigger.

When David Lost His Voice is a tremendously moving, gorgeously rendered graphic novel that will break your heart with its direct, empathetic style.

Its an old adage that a great entertainer should leave his audience wanting more. I found myself intrigued by this future world and would love to spend even more time in it. Cmon, Vaughan, you probably have everything that happens in the future sketched out on long sheets of white paper, right? Cant you share some of that stuff with us?

3 New Stories will be in stores May 2013.

The book is ambitious and heady content for comics, and its a testament to Guiberts skillful storytelling abilities that those changes are conveyed with foreshadowing, thoughtfulness, and a deep level of respect for both Cope and the reader.

This is classic Superman with a modern twist. Great stuff.

I never get tired of reading Harvey celebrate the small moments.

I really loved Bela Lugosi's Tales from the Grave. It's rare for anthologies to stay consistent from issue to issue and story to story. But based on the great package presented in this first issue, I think Park and Gammill will deliver in future issues.

This is one of those comics that seems good at first reading, but the more you think about it and reread the comic, the better it gets. Grist is an amazingly talented creator.

But for all my complaints about Len Wein's dated writing, I have no complaints about Gene Colan's artwork. His wonderfully moody artwork brings this story to deeply intense life, filling each page with a sort of gorgeous mystery that thoroughly transcends the story. I loved this book, and my colleague Paul Brian McCoy agrees in an extended essay on these comics as part of ComicsBulletin's "Mondo Marvel" column. I think Paul would agree with me: these aren't the greatest comics that Marvel released in the '70s, but they're satisfying and lots of fun.

Meanwhile in Europe, a very different shared universe has been evolving over the last few years. Joann Sfar and Lewis Trondheim have been creating a unique and impressive shared universe, the Dungeon, since 1998. You can read a bit more about this universe on its Wikipedia page, but suffice it to say they've created an amazing imaginative shared fantasy universe full of wizards, strange anthropomorphic animals and some of the most wonderful and unpredictable plots you've ever read. The world is kind of like Lord of the Rings meets mid-Tom Baker Doctor Who meets nothing you've ever read before. If that gives you the impression that these are some awesomely weird and fun stories, you're absolutely right.

Jimmy goes through a physical and emotional journey throughout Empire State; in the end, he finally seems ready to face his life. As he says towards the conclusion of this graphic novel, "I've got the rest of my life to get through." Reading those words, we realize that Jimmy has finally decided to embrace his adult life. He's grown and changed in this book, and I really enjoyed watching his physical and emotional journeys.

If youre a big-time fan of old Marvels, if youve enjoyed any of Stan & Jacks original FF comics, or if you just love Kirby, his legend and his art, you owe it to yourself to check out this comic. Fantastic Four #511 contains one of the most outrageous and wonderful plot twists youll ever find. It manages to be true to the heart and soul of the FF while also having a modern edge.

Fatale really shows the promise of being part of a much larger tapestry with lots more stories to come. The only concern for me is that working on this series will take away from their work on Criminal, which I love.

I didn't know what to expect from this comic when I picked it up, but I was thrilled and surprised to find this to be absolutely terrific.

As I mentioned, the issue ends with a plot twist that leaves me breathless for the next issue. What in the world does this twist mean? I can't wait to find out. Especially if you listened to our recent Comics You Can Dance To podcast that featured Joe Keatinge. After last issue's "The Way It Was" and this issue's "The Way It Is", next issues "The Way It Will Be" should be amazing.

Man, I really need to chill out and just enjoy comics, don't I?

I've been a fan of the Graphic Classics books for a long time, and this Poe volume is a real highlight of the series. There's a bunch of great stuff in here, including most of Poe's most famous stories. Anyone interested in the work of Edgar Allan Poe will find a lot to enjoy here.

As I mentioned, this issue ends with a terrific cliffhanger that could invert the relationship between Grendel and Ottoman. I'm really curious to see where this leads. Will Hunter Rose finally face some weakness, or will he once again come out triumphant over all his foes? I can't wait to see what happens.

These are deep questions. I trust Steve Gerber, along with co-writer Mary Skrenes, to not give definitive answers but rather let the reader decide what they think. Moral ambiguity has always been Gerber's great strength as a writer. I can't wait to see how Season Two plays out.

The issue of how to balance privacy and the drive to find truth is a complex question, one difficult to wrestle with. And, not surprisingly, the most provocative comic on the market brings it up. I will miss this comic terribly when it's gone.

For more on this comic, check out arielpress.com.

The most interesting thing about this comic for me as a long-time reader is how the series kind of reaches its peaks and valleys for action in unexpected ways. The pacing of this series is interesting. Intense violence always seems to be under the surface, about to burst out, but it's well hidden. Still, even the quieter issues seem to have an undercurrent of violence to them, which sometimes, as in this issue, explodes on the page. Beneath its seemingly calm surface, Invincible is a strikingly interesting meditation on violence and superpowers. The plight of Angstrom Levy is a perfect example of that.

I really enjoyed my first look at Matt Fraction's Iron Man. This book presented a story that I found extremely satisfying on several levels. Stark's comatose state was far from a problem; rather, it was an intriguing hook to add depth and complexity to the characters and their stories. Both my inner geek and my critical adult sides were delighted by this book. Based on this issue, I'll be around for a lot more of Fraction's Invincible Iron Man.

And hey, the thing's just a buck! Isn't it worth a stinking dollar to read a really great Grant Morrison comic?

Jules Verne's Twenty-Thousand Leagues Under the Sea delivers Verne, Gianni, Bradbury, and Wells. How can anyone ask for a more storied and wonderful group of creators? This book is a true treasure.

On the basis of that last little story I had to knock this book down half a bullet. But the lead story is as good as any chapter in the main run of New Frontier. Anyone who loves the original book will love this comic.

I'm heartbroken that Lee and McCann will only give us four issues of Lost Vegas because this is one of the most creative and entertaining comic books I've read in a long time. It literally takes me far away from my daily life.

It seems that the great Geary has been doing this for so long, and so well, that each year's new book is just as wonderful and interesting and evocative as the previous year's book. We should all be as consistent as Rick Geary.

Market Day is an evocative portrait of an intriguing protagonist and a long-lost time and place. By the time we reach the book's very open-ended conclusion, it's difficult not to find Mendleman intriguing on some level. His dilemma has stayed with me in the days since I first read this book.

This lovely page does a great job of elegantly capturing the attitudes of an older couple whose house the Oregonians invade -- yeah, invade seems like the right word to use for the events that happen.

Yeah, any philosophy book that includes both sex and shit has to be a bit different from most books about this subject. This is a perfect intro to the complex and weighty topic of philosophy -- Margreet de Heer delivers a surprisingly fun and really intriguing look into an area in life that many of us consider occasionally but end up taking for granted. As Socrates said, "an unexamined life is not worth living", and this book is a great framework for you to begin considering your own philosophies in your particular world.

The ending of this book brings the whole story into a different light. Rather than feeling as inert as it was at the beginning, the character changes in interesting and unexpected ways. White's writing and Campbell's art are perfect companions for each other, each bringing different sides of the character's world to life.

I've found myself fascinated with the world of Salem Brownstone in the way that I once was fascinated with the world of Stephen Strange. Watch out, Doctor Strange. There's a new mystic master in the comics world, and he lives in a very dark and intensely interesting world.

Yeah, this was a good comic. Typical Brubaker. I should have learned to trust him years ago.

Those looking for standard, boring, all-American storytelling are advised to not try this book. But those who want something different " something that speaks to you on a completely different level " are advised to seek this book out. It could change the way you look at the comics page.

Jason Sacks is Publisher of Comics Bulletin. Follow him at @jasonsacks, email him at jason.sacks@comicsbulletin.com or friend him on Facebook.

This is a great little comic that I'm really glad I read.

All of the stories in this breathtaking book kind of, sort of makes sense on the printed page if you squint really hard and turn you mind off. But it all made sense to Basil Wolverton and it's all deliriously crazy, full of energy and joy and some wonderfully strange artwork. Spacehawk is lunatic, manic genius.

In its obsessive attention to period detail and its encyclopedic knowledge of its subject, The Terrible Axe-Man of New Orleans is a completely engaging book. This book presents a real-life mystery in a complex, artful and intriguing way. I love Geary's work, and this book definitely doesn't disappoint.

This is a comic book like none other on the stands. It's cryptic and intriguing, thoughtful and a bit sexy. I can't wait to see how this all plays out.

So another really solid issue of this intriguing comic. I deduct a little for not showing Mr. Fallow sooner, but that may not be a problem when the TPB collects the whole storyline.

This comic is a real treat, especially for any of us who can identify with the unique joys and frustrations of bringing up kids.

I think the focus of the book reflects Van Sciver's sensibilities acutely. I want to say that it takes a true hipster to devote so much of his life telling the tale of the Emo-Lincoln, but that completely undermines both Van Sciver's talent and the book he has created. What he has done, I think, is tell a distinctly American tale -- the flawed and (at times) dangerously introspective hero overcoming doubt and awkwardness to stride forth and stomp on the terra, to lead a nation, to set the mythology of the American character and codify the American Dream.

I was a bit distracted by an odd use of special effects during a gun battle, but aside from that small complaint, this book is really a terrific action story with some great and interesting characters.

Because of this seeming miscarriage of justice, the two immigrants became the center of a political firestorm that engulfed countries all over the world. Massive controversies erupted over the arrests and executions in countries as far away as Panama, New Zealand and Japan -- and remember, this was in the 1920s, when many people didn't even have radios, let alone any of the electronics that we take for granted today!

This is a superlative mini-series, one that deserves a wide audience.

None of it matters because The Shaolin Cowboy is incredibly odd, incredibly dense, incredibly thrilling in a way that gives me a small little high every time I read an issue of this series. Yeah, this comic's back after way too long and for those of us who remember it, yay! an amazing comic is back. But for those of you who never read Shaolin Cowboy " well, goddamn, you're a lucky motherfucker, you know that? Because you'll feel this rush completely fresh.

You can find out more about this comic at nenoworld.com

I recommend this book heartedly to anybody who has an opinion on the work of comics' most notorious inker. Robert Bryant Jr.'s new book is an outstanding and even-handed biography that gives a full view of the man. It takes the fear away from a man whose work has always scared me.

Grant Morrison is working in a world where no other comics writers work. He is brilliant at using the symbols and feels of comics to subvert and at the same time amplify their deeper meanings. There have been other revolutionary writers in comics - Eisner, Stan Lee, Steve Gerber, Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman - but none have the unique outlook of Morrison. Hes amazing.

This stealth graphic novel starts out feeling like a sweet, whimsical pastoral children's graphic novel and slowly morphs into a wonderfully moving adult story that kind of sneaks up on you with its craft, intelligence and interesting themes.  I'm going to remember this little bird for a while.

Donner and Johns have me hooked with this plot. Everything seems to point to the boy being from Krypton, but what does that mean? Where will this story go? With its gorgeous Adam Kubert art and its involving story by Johns and Donner, I'm really looking forward to seeing how this story plays out.

We have one short month left to enjoy Morrison write the adventures of the Last Son of Krypton, one final month to watch one of the finest writers of super-hero comics of our era write the adventures of the greatest hero of any era. At least we'll have issues like this one to go back and reread to enjoy the glory once again.

By the time I looked at Jimmie Robinson's wonderful back cover, I was completely won over by this book. This book isn't just worth picking up as a literary anthology or ccollection of interesting African-American writing. It's worth picking up as a collection of outstanding comics art.

I still vividly remember the first time I encountered Moore in an American comic. It was soon after "The Anatomy Lesson" in Swamp Thing #21, one of the most galvanizing comic stories of the '80s. My friends in the late, lamented APA Galactus were all over Moore from the moment he appeared, shouting from rooftops and screaming on the printed page that Alan Moore was doing amazing work for DC Comics, that these were the sorts of comics that you would be talking about for the rest of your life.

This has all the makings of something really classic.

But it's hard to complain that we're getting too much comics history in each issue of this magazine. I'll happily take too much diverse content than get none at all, and Alter Ego is a real treat.

Alter Ego is a treasure every issue for longtime comics fans, the kinds of people who remember and love the work of Wrightson and Kaluta and Ralph Reese.

This is one of those very unique first issues that give no indication of how the series might play out. This could become another Preacher, or it could become something very different and unique. I can't wait to see in what direction American Virgin goes.

Angelman is a superhero as only Fantagraphics and Nicolas Mahler could present. At turns viciously funny, terribly sad and wonderfully direct, this book burrowed itself into my brain and would not let go. It's no surprise that the hero whose powers include sensitivity would have made me really interested in his story. This is a subtle and terrific graphic novel.

Animosity is the story of a world where all the animals have human intelligence and the ability to speak. This is a plot concept that has all the makings of a painful, annoying satire if the wrong writer took it on. Thankfully Marguerite Bennett has the writing reins on this series. She invests Animosity with an intelligence and heart that leads to a strong sense of, yes, humanity among its characters (is there a word for being human-biased?).

Well, yeah, because all of these stories deserve some individual love

Well, yeah, because all of these stories deserve some individual love

There are quite a few small press super-hero comics out these days. Argonauts stands out from the crowd with its interesting backstory and really soulful characters.

This isnt the most cheerful comic youll ever read, but its extremely well done.

Ashes 2 Ashes is a hell of a lot of fun.

Can Charles resist temptation? Can the heroes of Astro City attend to the real world outside their windows without destroying it? I'm looking forward to spending more time in the Dark Age.

Back Issue #19 is another mixed bag issue, which is sort of the point of a magazine like Back Issue. Every reader comes to the magazine with their own interests, and Back Issue accommodates people with lots of different interests in comics of the '70s and '80s. It's fun to have such a diverse magazine out there.

Michael Eury delivers another very solid issue of Back Issue!, full of tantalizing stories and entertaining art. For those of us who live for those stories, this is a magazine not to be missed.

Not very comics leave me with a combination of euphoria and depression at the same time, but the brilliantly dystopian world that Adam Egypt Mortimer and Darick Robertson create with Ballistic put me in a thoroughly alien state of mind.

Full disclosure time: Im the webmaster of davecockrum.net, a new website meant to celebrate the life and career of Dave Cockrum. But I would recommend this book even if I wasnt involved with the site. Dave Cockrum is a terrific artist who has devoted most of his adult life to providing joy to comic readers. This book is a celebration of his wonderful career, and well worth picking up for any fan of classic bronze age comics.

I wanted to absolutely love this comic book. Instead I got something with gorgeous artwork and a mediocre story. Still, any time I get to savor Darwyn Cookes gorgeous line work, Im a happy guy.

Yeah, he's done it again. Just as he's done with the awesome Five Ghosts, Barbiere takes familiar tropes and then zigs and zags all over the tropes in a way that makes ordinary comics seems a little too quiet after reading all the dense thrilling adventure of this tale. By squeezing all these ideas together in one story, he makes them all fresh and new, thereby showing us why we liked this stuff in the first place. Santos' art doesn't quite work for me in this story " some pages are confusing and the lack of background detail is frustrating " but Barbiere's ideas come tumbling out at such a breakneck pace that the reader either has to hold on or get out of the way.

Hudlin and Romita keep the story interesting - its written and drawn in a way that makes me want to come back for more. Thats good, because we get precious little in this first issue beyond set-up. In a way this made me long for the first issue of Panthers Rage, where Don McGregor was so excited about his plot that the speech and caption balloons sometimes overwhelmed the art. I wanted the book to move on a little more quickly, but the same could be said of most current Marvel series. Still, Hudlin and Romita do such a good job that the book is intriguing. This might be a good series to wait for the trade, but you also might be hooked after you read the first issue. I know Im hooked.

Black Science #1 left me breathless with its headlong intensity, its spectacular artwork and its compelling characters. I've been a fan of Rick Remender's writing for years, but he's outdone himself here, in part because Scalera's visuals are so breathtaking. Dammit, it's 10:30 at night and I have work tomorrow, but it's going to take me a while to come down from the thrill of reading Black Science.

The guns may all be in the flashbacks, but this comic is a kill shot.

I never thought it would happen, but this book made me want to buy The New Yorker for the cartoons!

This is not a comic for the morality police to find. It's pretty depraved from cover to cover. But for comic readers who've craved to see the effects of a villain's immorality writ large, and a clever satire of comics clichs. If you're not sensitive, Jimmie Robinson's Bomb Girl is a real treat.

This is really fun stuff, full of subtle background jokes (take a look at the notes in the classroom in the first scene) and a clever approach to traditional material. I can't wait to see how this whole crazy story works out.

I had a fantastic time spending time with Bomb Queen in her crazy town of New Port City. She's a nasty piece of work, but that just makes her even more charming to me. Maybe Bomb Queen is a real bad girl, but heck, who can resist a bad girl when she's presented in such a charming way?

It all adds up to one of the craziest, nastiest and funniest sitcoms you can ever expect to find. I love my monthly visits to Jimmie Robinson's crazy community.

Bomb Queen is one of the happiest, cheeriest and funniest adults-only comics Ive ever read. Im so glad Jimmie lets the darker side of his personality come out every once in awhile.

I can't wait to see where all of this goes.

The issue ends with Queenie moving towards Littleville dressed in a giant robot suit. I can't wait to see the kinds of death and destruction she'll bring to that town, and what will happen when Queenie and Dee get together. Month after month, Jimmie Robinson delivers an amazing manic energy to this comic.

In the end, Captain America: Reborn #4 provides a middle section of a tremendously fun blockbuster story. There's no sign that the ultimate conclusion of this story will disappoint.

Because this is really a terrific comic. It's full of chuckles but it's not a humor comic. It's an action comic that just happens to have a really clever wit to it. Kind of like the Venture Brothers if it was all about Brock and he was a tall thin spy guy. And if the Venture Brothers had some poignancy to it. Because the epilogue to this issue completely puts things in a new light. Not only is Casanova funny and clever, but this comic has soul, too.

Over the years Cerebus has been a consistently outstanding series. Dave and Ger are finishing the series with the same attention to quality that they showed 15 years ago. It's been an amazing ride. This comic will be sorely missed when it's gone.

Charlton Spotlight treads a unique middle ground. It's not as slick as something like Comic Book Artist and not amateurish, either. It is a devoted and professional fan effort that any fan of the medium will enjoy. Charlton Spotlight #3 is a bargain at $7.50 per issue from Argo Press, P.O. Box 4201, Austin, TX 78765-4201

I complain about this issue of Charlton Spotlight because I found it really interesting. I want very much to enjoy every word in every issue, so if I find something frustrating, I take it kind of personally. Despite my complaints, this is a terrific magazine and is worth checking out by any longtime comics fan.

Mike Ambrose set himself the mission of unearthing obscure and interesting Charlton comics; in this issue he's succeeded in spades. This is a real treasure for anyone with an interest in the Charlton line of comics.

The plot of Chicken with Plums is a bit of a downer. However, in the hands of Satrapi, it's difficult to not be caught up in the beauty of the art and storytelling techniques. This is an intriguing story that is very well told.

The zine is free just send an email to Jim and request a copy. It's a great free comic with lots of interesting material.

Full disclosure: I sometimes contribute to Jim's fanzine and I consider him to be a friend, but I'm not part of this issue at all. And I would recommend it to anyone, no matter my involvement with the zine.

I go crazy for Jim's fanzine. It's always a real treat.

Common Grounds is a special comic. Its not just about capes and tights, though it has capes and tights. Common Grounds is all about ordinary people. Some have costumes, but all of them are ordinary people just trying to do as best they can.

And there's why this comic is so wonderful: Hickman is one of us, a fan, someone who obviously has thought some of the same fanboy thoughts we all do. Unlike most of us, though, Hickman has thought his thoughts through. He has a fully developed world-view, and it's reflected through his passionate love for comic books and super heroes. Any fan of super-hero comics owes it to him or herself to check this series out. Each issue stands alone, so you can start with any issue. Once you do, you'll feel yourself swept away by Troy Hickman's wonderful comic.

But maybe I'm complaining too much. This is a perfectly fine story aside from a few odd elements, and Rafael Kayanan's artwork is spectacular. Someone please find this man a steady gig. I'm craving more.

We're coming to the end of Dark Horse's first run on this series, after which it will rebooted with a new number one and a new creative team. Hopefully the staff of Dark Horse will pursue their vision of the new series with as much thoroughness and intelligence as they have this series.

The last four issues of the current Conan series promise to bring a spectacular action storyline that will tie up the series. It should be fun to see how this storyline plays out.

Once again my preconceptions are shown to be wrong. And I couldn't be happier about it.

Eclipso and Doctor Fate arent the ideal companions for a comic, but as long as were getting them both together, its nice to have both stories be interesting and quirky.

This is an odd Alan Moore comic, but it's a fun comic that promises many thrills in future issue.

If you read this comic in its online serialization, you know how much fun it is and how wild this story gets. If you havent, you have a great treat in front of you, as the wonderful art and delightful story combine to deliver a great mix of humor, ennui and action that will alternately thrill you and make you laugh.

Alex Maleev is a terrific partner for Bendis. This issue contains two different flashbacks, and Maleev does a brilliant job of using different styles and color schemes for the present day, the recent past and the deep past. Hes really adept at faces and body language; really, Bendis couldnt ask for a better artist for his type of story.

I cant wait to see where this book goes next.

If you love the movie Dark Country, this book will be really indispensable for you. And if you'd like to read a really effective noir horror story for Halloween, you'll find a lot here to like. But if you don't care about the movie and just want to read the comic, you might find this book a bit bloated for your needs. But we can all ignore a few pages that we don't care about in a book to find something brilliantly bleak, right?

Huh, a comic about Hernan Cortez, What an interesting and cool comic it ended up being.

I wish they still did old-school Superman books like this one, every once in awhile.

I really like pirate comics, and I like pirate comics that are really well done even more. I really loved Dead Men Tell No Tales.

I cant wait to see where this series goes. Niles and Wrightson are doing solidly wonderful work in this book.

Devil gives us awesome guns, cool cars, nice artwork, and a story with some pretty interesting depth. Not bad for a vampire comic.

This book is quite unique and quite fun. It's a mix between a short-story collection and a comics anthology. Whatever category the book goes into, it's a sweet, fun and interesting book.

I think this is the first Top Shelf original to come out exclusively on Comixology as a digital-only release, and the story is definitely optimized for display on iPads or similar devices. It looks fantastic on my iPad, with the images perfectly fitting the screen and with outstanding clarity. The effect is like picking up a great self-published mini for the ridiculously inexpensive price of $1.99. And how can you resist a terrific comic like this for that kind of price?

With the return of Ditkomania and a forthcoming biography of Ditko, he may yet be seen as a peer of the great Kirby. It cant hurt to have such a charming zine devoted to him, anyway.

Ordering information for this zine is available at the Ditkomania group site.

Man, this is one fun adult comic book, with a definite emphasis on the word adult. While there's no nudity in this issue, in contrast with several eyepopping scenes in issue #1, but there are plenty of adult situations in this issue, as well as quite a bit of nasty language and such. In other words, this comic truly deserves its status as a MAX comic. That means that this comic gives us Howard Chaykin unfiltered and uncensored. And because we're getting pure Chaykin, we're also getting a sort of pure joy and fun in comics storytelling that we find all too rarely these days.

Add in some wonderful use of Photoshop for backgrounds and clothes, and some terrific storytelling by Chaykin, and you end up with a completely satisfying pulp adventure. This comic isn't as ambitious as some of the comics from Chaykin's past, but there's nothing wrong with that if he'll continue to deliver exhilarating comics like this one.

Ei8ht is an awesome first issue (in every sense of the word), the kind of comic that makes me want to hit the comic shop every Wednesday to see how my latest episodes of my favorite series play out. This first issue, by Rafael Albuquerque and Mike Johnson, spills enough of its secrets to be intriguing, reveals enough of its fictional world to get the reader pondering what is happening, and delivers enough fascinating WTFness to make it stand out from the crowd.

So I came to this comic in kind of the opposite way of most readers. I don't know who the Exiles are (and don't much care, after this issue), but I loved seeing the NewU characters again.

Exiles #78 is one that kind of snuck up on me. When I first read it, I enjoyed the book. On re-reading, and even more when writing this review, I was struck by how professional and fun this comic was. Its charms were subtle: what felt at first like a traditional super-hero comic turned into something with some real resonance.

The masterful art of P. Craig Russell makes this book special. In his use of classical techniques and allusions, perfect use of camera angles, and a thoroughly intelligent approach to page design, Russell shows that he is still one of the greats of comics art -- fan favorite status be damned.

Hickman and Eaglesham have begun a clever and interesting storyline that shows the promise of becoming something quite special.

So far Hickman's run on FF has been note-perfect, and this issue is just another example of that.

Kevin Cannon's Far Arden is a wonderfully quirky and unique solo debut graphic novel by an intriguing cartoonst.

This series is already picking up steam. This issue has an intriguing ending, and I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes now.

Fear Agent is one thrill after another. It's a shame this comic comes out so slowly; every thrill-packed issue leaves the reader wanting another.

This is widescreen sci-fi action it its comic booky best. It's a thrill a page.

This series leaves Image on a high note, with an especially funny and entertaining issue.

Heath Huston is a survivor. I can't wait to see how he survives his travails on this desert planet.

For more information about this comic, click here

This is a really fun and oddly satirical seeming book that really makes me smile.

As usual, the folks at Monsterverse have produced a monster book that will excite anyone who loves classic horror. And even for people who only sort of like that stuff, the energy of this title might just move you into the group of people who love this stuff.

One day, when Nick Spencer has as many graphic novels on the shelf as Ed Brubaker, and you feel like you know his unique writing quirks inside-out--you may look back on this book as a bit of crazy youthful indiscretion. You will remember it as one last bit of Spencers out-and-out youthful rebellion before he settled down a bit. For right now, though, as we prepare for the arrival of 2011, it's an awesome ride from the industrys Next Big Thing.

I guess the summary of my review is obvious. I came into this comic not knowing anything about what to expect. I come out of reading this comic intrigued to read much more.

Girls is never really a fun comic book by any stretch of the imagination, but it's very well written and drawn.

There are only three issues left of Girls. At this point I cant wait to see what happens by the end of the series. Will the truth really come out, or will the series end as mysteriously as it began?

With a typical level of idiosyncrasy, the avatar of self-publishing continues his thoroughly independent ways with glamourpuss. If he's not the father, Dave Sim is at least the uncle of the indy comics movement. Whether he's the crazy uncle is up to you the man is well known for his less than typical comments about women and about religion in the past. This comic certainly encompasses all that makes Dave Sim so great and so maddening.

This is a weird review, because I keep referring to Godland by what it compares to and not what it is. I hope that doesn't seem too awkward, but I think part of Casey and Scioli's plan with this book is for it to feel familiar and exciting. Godland is like a lost issue of New Gods, done in true widescreen format. It's exciting and big and kind of overwhelming.

This book is nearing three full years of high-quality material, and it's still a terrific read.

It's too bad theres only two more issues left of this series. This was perhaps the best issue of the series so far.

This is a nice send-off to a wonderful series. It's too bad the status quo for Montoya and Allen has changed, but at least we have this nice send-off for them.

Holy essays, Batman, this book is a BIFF! POW! hit!

No, Kurtzman delivered a deeply skeptical view of the world in this book. While he may have identified with both the beatnik Grasshopper and hardworking Ant, neither character represents the real Kurtzman. Harvey Kurtzmans emotional life was too complex to fit the narrow borders of a simple parable. Its a shame that this story is so short; with just a few more pages, Kurtzman might have delivered a work that delivered on all the vast potential of The Grasshopper and the Ant.

It's obvious that the impending cancellation of the series has spurred Judd Winnick to do his best work. It's a shame that it took so long for this change to happen. If Winnick had jumped into these sorts of storylines right away, he might have made Green Arrow's OYL transition into something really special. Instead, the current storyline acts as a nice final chapter that tantalizes a reader with the ultimate frustration: a longing for what might have been.

Hard Time is a challenging comic: intelligent, probing and intense. Its also intriguing as hell. If Gerber can build on the momentum he creates in this first issue, this could be one of the best comics of 2004. Its an auspicious beginning of an intriguing line of comics.

I understand that Hard Time and the other DC Focus books arent doing too well for DC, but this really is a special comic: intelligent, intense and questioning. Its not exactly a cheerful comic, but it is a real treat to read something as thoughtful as Hard Time.

But so far, so good. In the 30 years Gerber has been writing comics, he's rarely disappointed. The first four issues of Hard Time are among his very best work. Hard Time isn't fun, but it is unique and interesting and very thoughtful. It's also one hell of a ride.

For more on Harker, visit the creators' website.

I keep giving rave reviews to Harker because each issue surprises and delights me more than the previous issue. I predict this series will really break out once it starts being collected into TPB form.

For more on Harker, visit the Ariel Press website.

I've been reviewing this comic since its first issue, and am wonderfully surprised by how the characters keep growing more and more interesting as the series goes on. These multifaceted men are thoroughly interesting.

I've come to really enjoy the few minutes I get to spend each month in the company of Harker and Critchley.

I'll miss this series while it goes on hiatus waiting for its new publisher to start running Harker. Every issue so far has delivered completely solid detective action, and that kind of thing gets addictive after awhile. Let's hope the hiatus is short.

Only goofy critics like me care about applying credit to the correct creators, and really we shouldn't care either. We should just admire the wonderful way that this book sustains mood and builds complex, ambiguous characters. We should thrill in the wonderful way that images are created and storytelling builds. We should thrill in the brilliantly elegant linework by David Aja and the brilliantly elegant writing of Matt Fraction.

This is hardly the greatest comic you'll read this month, but Howard the Duck #1 is a tremendously silly and entertaining comic book. In these grim days, silly is good.

Ordinarily when a comic is promoted as having long-lasting consequences, that ends up being just so much empty hype. Usually that's because the events happen on the surface and don't affect who the heroes really are. But in the case of Identity Crisis, the characters change as people. What happens here will affect them forever. I can't wait to see where this story goes.

This is exactly what most fans were hoping for, 'nuff said.

But overall, this has exceeded my expectations. What a fun story.

Its a bit confusing around the edges, and I really do find it convenient that none of the big names were killed in the battle, but overall Johns does a nice job in this comic of combining the big with the small. And what an intriguiing ending!

Infinite Crisis is a big, giant, incoherent, wonderful, silly mess. I cant help myself, my fanboy passion kicks in whenever I look at this comic. It needed eleven artists because this comic would have killed only one. Infinite Crisis is truly the spectacle so large that even George Perez, the Hercules of crowd scenes, needs ten collaborators to illustrate this book. I love InC for that.

Editor's Note: See today's Silver Soapbox for a column by Jason Neulander about the Intergalactic Nemesis stage play and comic.

Yeah, this is yet another solid issue of Invincible. Ho hum. It would be news if there were a bad issue.

I especially enjoyed the "Capes" back-up that Kirkman does with artist Mark Englert. In that story, the Chronodile, who had previously killed dozens of heroes before being defeated, returns. The intense battle against the villain is exciting and compelling, and has a feeling of desperation that makes the story feel extra exciting. It's a lot of fun to read a story where you have absolutely no idea what will happen, and "Capes" really delivers that.

Just another solid issue of a very solid series.

This series never disappoints. I cant wait to see what happens next.

With Kirkman, Hester and Parks I knew this comic would be a winner. I'm happy to say after this first issue that I was right.

For more on Jobnik, see Miriam Libicki's website.

This new issue of Jobnik continues the interesting and realistic feel of her previous issues. This is a terrific series.

I would happily follow Jesse Lonergan to other remote destinations.

The new Legion is a real winner. Trust Mark Waid. Not to mention Barry Kitson.

In many ways this isnt a well written comic book. The story is jumpy, characterization is weak, the whole thing seems based on creating Claremont-esque conflicts, and theres no real compelling central plotline for the story. But in a whole different way, a way that Shooter probably didnt intend to show in this comic, its amazingly compelling. As Lightning Lad has his nervous breakdown, its easy to imagine Shooter going through many of the same experiences. Readers seldom get a chance to see this kind of autobiography in a Marvel or DC book, and its quite compelling here.

This is a great graphic novel, but it's still a flawed work. Like a Velvet Glove is an early work by a creator who will later become one of the artform's greatest creators. There are themes and moments in this book that will be revisited in Clowes's later works, and revisited in smarter and more focused ways in some of his newer and greater works. Daniel Clowes is clearly building his skillset in this book, as he works on his art style, story progression and thematic obsessions. But it's still an incredible work of art that shifted my perceptions of the world a bit as well.

But this was an intriguing and thoughtful story. I have no idea if this is typical or not, but I definitely enjoyed my first trip in the world Wood has created.

This is hardly a cheerful issue - the final page is pretty damn devastating - but it's a great little docudrama about a kid who just can't stop himself from screwing up.

Man of God is yet another great example of a great Fair Trade Comic. The three creators of this comic came together to create this intriguing book, investing their time and energy and passion to presenting a work that is uniquely their own. Their passion and intelligence shines through every panel. This is fucking great stuff.

Mark Twain Was Right is a great example of comic as reportage, and comics as a way to convey complex ideas in a way that no other artform can convey them. Microcosm Publishing is dedicated to "growing your small world," and my world was enriched by this interesting history.

But I have absolutely no idea what other people might think of this book. If you're not a fan of this era or its comics, will you get anything at all out of Marvel Legacy: 1970s? Your mileage indeed may vary.

It's no surprise that a Peter David-written, Valentine de Landro-drawn X-Factor one-shot should be as involving, interesting and entertaining as any issue of the regular series.

But for me the stories by Kasman and Nichols are the real winners in this issue and make it well worth the cover price.

As with every issue of this magazine, your mileage may vary in terms of what you like most. Every issue of Negative Burn I've read has at least one story that makes it worth picking up. Hopefully enough readers will agree with me so that this comic can continue for a long time.

Of course, this issue is a lot of setup and very little payoff at this point. Obviously, thats to be expected with a first issue like this one. Ellis clearly has a big story to tell, with lots of characters in motion. It should be interesting to see where it all goes.

Sometimes the middle chapters of Doctor Who serials were much better than the beginning or ending chapters. All that running around through tunnels was a heck of a lot of fun, which I often didn't want to see end. I had a heck of a lot of fun with this middle chapter. I hope the ending is as good as the ending of "Dawn of the Daleks."

The Nightly News is a wonderfully meta comic book for a wonderfully meta age. It's dense and thoughtful, combining a sort of distorted film feel with an interesting surreal background. Creator Jonathan Hickman presents a comic that seems to attack everything it sees, painting a broadly satirical brush on excesses of every type. Whether it's a Senator meeting with a lobbyist, an arrogant New York Times reporter in a bar, or a meeting of the terrorists, all of the characters are weird, bizarre, and funny in interesting ways. Some of the scenes seem a bit obvious to me - look, a Senator on the take! - but most of the comic is wonderfully unique and intriguing.

This is a very solid and intriguing first issue. It's great to see Breyfogle back, and he's chosen an intriguing project in which to be involved.

Of Bitter Souls is a comic that consistently surprises me with its intelligence and passion. I'm thrilled to see it return.

For ordering information on this zine, click here.

I really enjoyed this issue. The journey to this storys final destination was a lot of fun and shows real passion for good writing. I just wish the destination had a bit more of a payoff.

This comic sucked me in the same way that a good song does.

A master adapts the work of a master in this comic; it's no surprise that this comic is terrific.

As a standalone issue, Pirates of Coney Island #1 is an interesting tale of life on the streets of Brooklyn. It's an interesting portrait of city life that has an intriguing indy feel to it. Who knows where this story will go, but this first issue is very well done.

If you haven't read the comic, wait for the trade. If you're a fan, this is a must have.

Yeah, it's another wonderful issue of Kyle Baker's Plastic Man. This is a wild and wooly comic book, a ridiculous amount of fun for three bucks, and it's even in continuity. I realize that almost nobody is reading this comic, and it's cancelled after two more issues but you're missing a damn funny series if you're not picking this one up.

You can read the first series of Project Elohim as a webcomic.

Pug ships in June and is available in the current Diamond Comics catalog.

Ragmop is a heady and exciting mix of all kinds of genres, thrown together in a blender and delivered as a frothy mass of thoroughly engrossing (and rather exhausting) comics. It's cheap on Comixology, and digital comics should be all about discovering great stuff that you never knew existed. So do yourself a favor and spend a few bucks on this thoroughly unique comic.

RASL is a bold and intriguing new series from master creator Jeff Smith. It's diametrically different from his classic work on Bone, but that's part of what makes this book so intriguing. To this point, there are many questions and few answers. I can't wait to see where this great storyteller moves this story.

Real Talk: Mixtape #2 A comic review article by: Jason Sacks, Daniel Elkin Some comics are too big, hypeworthy or insane for one reviewer to cover. Which is why we have Real Talk, an outlet for a group of reviewers to tackle a comic together and either come to a consensus or verbally arm wrestle until there's nothing left to say.

This stealth graphic novel starts out feeling like a sweet, whimsical pastoral children's graphic novel and slowly morphs into a wonderfully moving adult story that kind of sneaks up on you with its craft, intelligence and interesting themes.  I'm going to remember this little bird for a while.

Mark Innes always puts together such terrific comics. I'm really looking forward to the next one.

As essentially an art gallery with a few articles, this zine sometimes feels a bit light in content. But if you like the artwork, it's well worth the cover price. And the short articles add a lot to the magazine, too. I'm looking forward to future issues of Rough Stuff.

But none of that really matters to me. I loved the loose and informal nature of this comic. In some ways it feels a bit rushed, as if Larsen didn't quite have enough time to pay attention to every detail. But it's precisely that informality and spirit of fun that makes this comic so wonderful. More structure and it would be dull. Less and it would be too anarchic. Instead, this breezy, informal, loosely structured comic is a real treat, literally from cover to cover.

Yeah, Savage Dragon may not be the hippest comic on the stands, but it's unique and interesting and has soul. Erik Larsen seldom disappoints.

Klarion is a very strange comic, but its wonderfully written and drawn, and is very intriguing. Of the four first issues so far of the Seven Soldiers series, its my favorite.

SEXYTIME BOOK from Jacques Boyreau on Vimeo.

It was also fun seeing Fred Hembeck recreate some totally appropriate scenes from old Marvel comics as part of the story. It made me laugh out loud to see Fred's depiction of Norse hero Heimdall on the Rainbow Bridge and to recreate some famous self-portraits of Romita and of Jack Kirby.

The whole thing costs a mere $3 with shipping. That's the perfect price for such a light and fun package. Click here for more information.

This is smart and interesting autobio comics that I thought was really relatable and interesting.

But any story that brings up thoughts of Will Eisner deserves a Xeric Award. This is a very interesting comic book.

For more about Spirit of the Law, check out Monkeybrain Comics and buy it on Comixology.

If you ever have wandered across a Warren mag and been curious about the creators who worked on it, this is the zine for you.

So if any of these three pieces make your heart beat a bit faster -- if the idea of seeing Jack Davis's contemporary thoughts of Christmas in Guam makes you interested in picking up this book -- then Sqa Tront 13 is the book for you. As is always true of books from Fantagraphics, the reproduction in this book is spectacular and all the work is meticulously researched. But it is true that this material is for those who are already fans of EC comics and their era.

For a work by three unknown creators, this is a terrific comic. Hell, if this was by three established creators, it would be a winner. I honestly had no idea what to expect from this comic, but issues 1 and 2 turned out to be really wonderful.

But even with that complaint, I really loved this comic. My only real complaint is that since the Smiths' song "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I want" is quoted on the cover, I can't get that song out of my head. Damn you, Remender!

As this issue ends, there seems to be new hope for Bethany, but the next issue promises her journey will take her to Hell. I'm not sure how much worse Hell can be than New York City in this comic book.

I can't wait to see what the next few issues bring to Bethany on her quest to Hell.

This is not a jumping on point for new readers, but longtime readers of Strange Girl will find a lot to chew on with this issue.

As always, Rick Remender's writing on this comic delivers something unique and intriguing.

This issue is kind of the metaphorical calm before the storm. Bethany and Bloato even play a game of catch to pass the time. But next month promises to bring a new level of Hell to Bethany Blake's life. I, for one, can't wait.

Strangers caught me in a strange way. I got much more than I expected out of this zine than I ever expected. It's not often you discover a new world in the space of 20 pages.

This is a great intro issue, and I'm looking forward to reading more.

I thoroughly enjoyed this issue, especially the really nicely evocative writing of Jeff Lemire. He's the perfect writer for a story about small town life, which makes him the perfect writer for Superboy.

This is an odd comic, but it's still pretty darn entertaining. I'm looking forward to future issues of this series whether written by Waid or Bedard. And if they bring back Matter-Eater Lad or Dawnstar, I'll be even happier.

Even so, however, I really enjoyed this comic. The other characters in the story were compelling, and the artwork and setting were spectacular. In fact, the worst three words in the comic were "to be concluded." I want to spend more than one more issue in the city of Supermarket, even though I really don't want to spend them with Pella.

Plus readers get some nice collaborative spot illos, and a really nice back cover. ToF #39 was another really entertaining issue, and is well worth the work of seeking out and ordering from the site listed above.

The great thing about zines is the total freedom they give the creator. Since the creator really is answerable to nobody but themselves, he or she is able to follow his or her internal compass to find what he or she sees as the right way to create a story. By the time a man like Larry Johnson has done this work for 20 years, you can see that he continually makes decisions that amuse and intrigue him. Its fun seeing Larry explore his creativity. I hope hell keep at it for a long time.

Tales to Suffice is a promising debut by a talented creator. It's more than sufficient; it's quite charming.

This is an effective and quick survey of the American Revolution, probably best targeted at an older middle school or early high school crowd. Mack tells his story crisply, with just the right tough of irreverence, to be able to strike a chord with kids who have short attention spans -- or with adults like me who want to brush up on our memories of Jefferson, Hamilton and Washington.

I do wish that some of these connections were a bit more explicit in this issue - I wish there was more of a clear hook between the two stories, and I wish I had some clue who the blue topless demon woman called Astarte is, but I guess I can be patient. This is a uniquely spooky comic book.

In these days of hyped-up civil wars and one year time jumps, isn't it great that one of the largest comics publishers in the world offers something with real complexity and ambiguity? Testament isn't a perfect comic book, but it's a damn interesting one.

Your tolerance of this intense and intricate story will depend on how much you can enjoy the pretty much unrelenting darkness of this story. Roman and DeWeese create a work from the heart, but their heart seems a bit black and depressing. This is a gorgeous and intense book that will stick in your mind and heart and not let go.

Anyone interested in Japanese philosophy, classic literature or the life of a warrior will really enjoy this insightful and intelligent adaptation of a great work of Japanese culture.

So The Boys #50 is, in some ways, a perfect anniversary issue because it illuminates some of the most important themes that Ennis loves to explore. This issue might have made a little more sense for me in the context of the whole story, but it still works great as a standalone story.

This is an interesting book that works on several levels. As a simple biography, it's satisfying and intriguing. As a piece of comics art, it's creative and innovative. And as a depiction of the older, weirder America, it succeeds wonderfully. This book does a terrific job of capturing the complicated lives of one of America's most important musical families.

I can tell you that I found myself alternately fascinated and repelled by the creative vision expressed in this comic, and have found myself playing with the ideas expressed in this book and trying to stitch them together into some sort of coherent whole. The Caterer is a very, very strange comic book that expresses a particular artistic vision in unique and intriguing ways.

Not that Adele Blanc-Sec's world is banal; her life is anything but a typical life. I thoroughly loved how Adele always seems to have bizarre and extraordinary adventures thrust upon her, seemingly for no reason other than that she is a person who happens to travel in those circles. I think my favorite scene in the book happens when Adele ends up at an event in which a prehistoric man is revived after a very long hibernation. When the Pithecanthrope is woken up, however, he's a surprisingly erudite and intelligent creature.

For years the gold standard for assessing quality war comics has been E.C.'s war stories edited by the great Harvey Kurtzman. Kurtzman was brilliant at combining exhaustive research with a passion for telling great stories in his comics. It's therefore the finest compliment I can give to The Grand Duke to say that Yann and Hugault create a work of almost Kurtzmanlike quality. This is an outstanding war comic, beautifully written by Yann and illustrated by Hugault, published as always to the highest standards by Archaia.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Felicity Gustafson also reviewed The Intrepids #1. Read her thoughts, too!

Community Discussion /* * * CONFIGURATION VARIABLES: EDIT BEFORE PASTING INTO YOUR WEBPAGE * * */ var disqus_shortname = 'comicsbulletin'; // required: replace example with your forum shortname var disqus_url = 'http://www.comicsbulletin.com/main/reviews/joe-kubert-archives-vol-1-weird-horrors-daring-adventures'; /* * * DON'T EDIT BELOW THIS LINE * * */ (function() { var dsq = document.createElement('script'); dsq.type = There are many wonderful stories in here. "The Golem" is a true early classic, and Kubert's Sinbad stories are thrilling high adventure in the Rafael Sabatini mold. His horror stories are wonderful in that classic bizarre pre-code way that makes them thrill, and his crime stories are full of beautiful dames and flashing machine guns. If you're the sort of person who gets excited by the idea

But I'm sure the upcoming fourth volume of The Killer will have a lot to offer readers new and old. This series is a fascinating journey.

For more on The List, see their website.

Marvels Project is a really fun series so far, as the always excellent Ed Brubaker delivers a typically solid story.

My favorite scene in the comic is the very last panel. In it we see the three characters all together. There's Cap on the left, with the blue in his uniform emphasized. The Sub-Mariner is in the middle, all pale flesh. On the right is the Torch in his bright red jumpsuit. From right to left, that's red, white and blue. What better foreshadowing can there be of the future battles of the Invaders?

It all amounts to a hilarious first half of a great summer action flick " the calm and character setting before the giant invasion that will happen in the second act. We're giggling and ready, Grant. We're ready for the action to begin.

Adam Glass delivers a slow-moving thriller that pokes, prods and gets under the reader's skin with its spooky mood and its take on a perfect American family whose lives have gone terribly wrong.

The Quality Companion delivers readers exactly what they want from a book like this. It's an extremely thorough and detailed celebration of one of the great comics lines in history. With the 64 pages of comics it presents, and the 220 or so pages of text that follow, The Quality Companion makes a strong case that the Quality Comics line truly lived up to its name.

But, Cooke is saying, that is the point. A first issue is a declaration, and this issue is a declaration to all of us purists who worship at the altar of Will Eisners creation and who have at least three reprints of The Vortex and Gerhard Schnobble and Meet PGell in our collections. Cooke is telling all of us to relax and enjoy the present. Eisners Spirit is a true classic, but Cooke wont be slavishly devoted to recreating that classic. Instead, like Robert Kanigher and Carmine Infantino did in Showcase #4, Cooke opts to deliver a new Spirit for the current day. He doesnt channel the ghost of Will Eisner, but the living energetic and thoughtful spirit of Darwyn Cooke.

None of the three stories in this comic are transcendent, but they are both fine tributes to Eisner and fine pieces of work in their own right. Its obvious that everyone working on this comic had a great time. If none of the stories are great in the way that Darwyn Cookes or Will Eisners versions of the Spirit are great, thats no insult. This is a nice, solid, satisfying anthology issue.

But what McKeever does best " and what makes this book so wonderful (OK, a lot of things make this book wonderful and this is just one of them) is that he's great at showing the subjective side of the events he depicts, giving us both the interior perception and the exterior reality. And if you approach The Superannuated Man with that attitude " if you allow McKeever to be McKeever and just play with all the lovely, grotesque images, groove on the blacks and allow him to tell the story that he's telling rather than try to interpret it " this is a brilliant comic book.

It really is a shame that this comic has hovered under the radar and is about to be cancelled. In the hands of Slott (and very professional cartoonist Kieron Dwyer, who does a very solid job on the art), this is the sort of light-hearted but intelligent fun that is increasingly hard to find from the Big Two. There's no Civil War here.

I was shocked by how much I enjoyed the reprints in this comic. The JMS/Weston series might be Marvel's version of Watchmen or it might be quickly forgotten, but it's a wonderful joy to see these crazy original comics back in print. Your mileage may vary, but I was thrilled by how much I enjoyed those crazy old stories.

This is a very nice second issue that deepens and broadens the storyline. It's a little bit jarring after the charm of the first issue, but this comic is still interesting and surprising.

So far this looks like a post-apocalyptic action fantasy with strong elements of Native American mysticism and a touch of Sergio Leone. I don't have the faintest clue what's going to happen next in this story, but as long as Finney, Loftis and Hardman are working on this series, I'm anxious to see where they take me.

JMS's take on Thor will definitely work better in a TPB, but this is a very entertaining step along the way for readers who can't wait for the collection.

This is a wonderful comic by any standard, but it gets extra points for me for being yet the latest product of a guy who's not doing his comics for any reason except that he loves them. Why not stick a buck in an envelope and send a snail mail to Tim asking for his comics?

Its often hard to pick out the good mini-comics from the rotten ones. But Tim Corrigan is a brand name, a name you can trust to do interesting comics.

Ordering information for this zine is available at Tim's website. I can't recommend his comics highly enough.

You have to be a little crazy to be a real-life super-hero, but sometimes crazy can be a lot of fun.

So just another month of the Ultimate Universe Spider-Man, and yet another month of high quality and fun super-hero action. Ain't nothing wrong with that.

If this was the last time we'll see Miles in a comic of this type, I'm really glad I checked it out. This was as solid a comic as Marvel produces, a really impressive full meal of a comic book from Bendis and Marquez.

This isn't billed as a holiday story, and the holidays don't figure in this story at all, but Ultimate Spider-Man #69 has the feel of one of the best comics Christmas stories you may have read.

I don't know if it's the right direction to bring in yet more ultimate analogues of Marvel U. characters, but Bendis and Bagley do a terrific job in this issue of keeping events focused on Peter Parker, the real heart of the story.

In the end, Arden's hectoring and explanations for Ken's lack of ambitions give the book a kind of poignant feel. I found myself genuinely moved by the way Ken's portrayed in this book and his genuine interest in improving himself that is continually at war with his lack of ambition. I had low expectations for this comic, but it really got under my skin.

These two stories have flaws, but the comic really repays extra attention. Since I read this comic, I've found myself haunted by these stories and the little mysteries they contain.

So when this issue ends with a familiar cliffhanger, it's impossible to know if that ending's some sort of red herring or a postmodern tip of the hat to a familiar trope or if it's meant to be read literally. Of course, after reading this first issue, we know that it's all three and we love this comic for all its transgressive, thrillingly fun glory.

There's a tremendous amount of heart and passion and, yeah, insanity at the heart of our beloved scientist -- who's not a mad scientist, dammit!

This comic hit all kinds of happy glands for me. The supernatural action is awesome, the mystical villains are horrible and gross and so goddamn cool, Lukas's art displays his usual Loony Tunes meets Marvel Comics style that makes the whole book a rhapsody of breathless thrills and excitement, every character gets their perfect moment of spotlight in this comic, the book turns on a scene where the good guy urinates in everybody's water, and wow I think I have a serious crush on Catrina Macabrey, the mysterious sexy MILF of mysticism.

If youre getting the idea that this is no Civil War, youre right. This is a thoughtful and intriguing graphic novel that takes a reader into some very uncomfortable territory. Worry Doll delivers an unsettling look at the inner life of a very bad man, and does so in a way that emphasizes the tremendous malleability of the graphic novel medium.

X-O Manowar #50 is not a perfect comic book, but is a perfect send-off to Valiant's longest running title.

Only three more issues till this comic comes to an end. It's amazing how a few issues can change your perception. I was ready for it to come to an end a few months ago; now I'll really miss X-Statix. This is a great comic book.

No deep insights in this review, I'm afraid. I loved it, and it made me smile alit.

No, its all Dallass fault. Damn you, Keith Dallas. Now I'm counting the days till Y #30 comes out. January 5th. 31 days. 31 long, long days.

So when my friend Sean Michael Wilson contacted me and asked me to read his new book, Yakuza Moon, I was really enthusiastic. This new manga is an adaptation of the autobiography of a gangster's daughter and promised to make for really interesting reading. I grabbed the book with enthusiasm and plunged in with real excitement. And, as Zack predicted, I found the book to be completely enthralling. It didn't matter what country this book came from; the life of Shoko Tendo is an eye-opening and fascinating story.

Zatanna up to this point has been a thoughtfully constructed and enjoyable series. Paul Dini and company have deftly created a title which is easily accessible to readers whether you have a deep knowledge of DC history or just prefer to dabble on occasion. Zatanna is definitely worthy of taking a chance on and I for one would love to see this book have a nice long run.

This comic has every sign of being a terrific TPB. This first chapter whets the appetite but doesnt fill me up much. It does have the feeling of being the first course of a very filling meal, though.

For more information on this comic, visit memoryisfiction.com.

The problem is that whimsy is very, very hard to find these days. In these grim times, when the economy seems perpetually teetering on the brink of collapse oh my god the world is going to come to an end because the debt ceiling hasn't been raised soon freeways will collapse under the weight of the polar ice caps flooding and polar bears will be forced to walk into my back door looking for food and I'm not sure if they'll like the way I do my barbecuing.

Find out more about Babble at babblecomic.com.

So . . . I'm happy that Cassie and Conner are back together, but I don't care at all that the Ranzz family, who shoot lightning from their fingertips, are having troubles.

Johns and Manapul will be leaving this comic after this issue. It's a shame because they've made me like Conner much more--and hate Lex much more--than I ever have before. These past six issues were a promising start; it's too bad that's all we'll get.

Its not the greatest comic ever, but Miller has written some of the greatest comics ever. That means this book has the potential to reach those levels. So far it has potential.

Just try your damndest to keep up or it might give you a headache. Sometimes it's hard to enjoy a concert when you can't quite figure out the melody of a song, and this comic might do that to some readers. I know I had to put it down a couple of times after feeling overwhelmed. But maybe I'm getting a little old for loud concerts.

ADVANCE REVIEW: Amazing Mysteries: the Bill Everett Archives Vol. 1 Writer: Bill EverettBlake BellPenciller: Bill EverettPublisher: FantagraphicsReviewer: Jason SacksReview Rating: 

Its hard to assess an epic on the basis of one chapter, but this is a nice, solid beginning for this one.

John's story is a bit plothammery, a bit too laden with facts and loose with emotions, but we're talking about the damn fall of Atlantis here. That's no time for emotions other than "holy crap, this is a thing that's happening!"

But add in articles about the de-powered Wonder Woman, a look at female characters in animation, and a wonderful cover and portfolio by Bruce Timm, and all the sins of Back Issue are easily forgiven. This is a really fun magazine for those of us who care about the comics minutia explored in it.

Back Issue #28 is another solid issues of one of the more pleasant "prozines" around.

But to me the art didn't really detract from the story too much. It's great seeing the Badger back, and Mike Baron is back to his classic, vintage ways all over again.

It seems that Andreyko and his team may be making a statement in this issue's transition from the comfort of Bruce Wayne to the rough-and-tumble world of crime-fighting. Kate Kane is willing to throw herself through a glass roof to fight crime. That's a woman whose comic I want to keep reading.

BB Wolf and the Three LPs was an interesting and entertaining book thats a unique take on racism, music, family, and legend.

You can read more about Behind the Hero at Searnold's MySpace page.

Issue #4 of Bela wasn't the best issue of this wonderful horror book, but "The Evil Eye" is worth the price of admission all by itself.

Based on this issue, I want to read more from the House of M.

Blackest Night #6 is another crowd-pleaser from the now tried-and-true team of Reis and Johns.

With a fantastic Ryan Sook cover and with the usual outstanding production values for which Com.X is known, the whole package here is really entertaining. This is Japanese superheroes done differently from all other Japanese superheroes. Cosmo White's fantastic art and coloring make sure of that.

Jason Sacks has been obsessed with comics for longer than he'd like to remember. He considers himself a student of comics history and loves delving into obscure corners of this crazy artform. Jason has been writing for this site for about seven years and has also been published in a number of fan publications, including the late, lamented Amazing Heroes and The Flash Companion. He lives in north Seattle with his wife and three kids.

The story alone makes the comic deserve . It's very ordinary, standard fantasy stuff. But Hampton's art is wonderful, and gives this story much of its depth for me. This comic is worth seeking out for its wonderful artwork, not so much for its ordinary feeling story.

That, combined with a character disappearing early in the book and some allusions in the middle of the issue to changes in the world and its reality, make me believe that Casey may be delivering something with The Bounce that may be both exactly what we expect and completely unlike what we expect. Isn't that why we want to read superhero comics?

Bubbles & Gondola is an odd and cute graphic novel about a little mouse who's used to his solitude but who slowly learns how to emerge from his little hole and embrace the world around him.

Jason Sacks has been obsessed with comics for longer than he'd like to remember. He considers himself a student of comics history and loves delving into obscure corners of this crazy artform. Jason has been writing for this site for about seven years and has also been published in a number of fan publications, including the late, lamented Amazing Heroes and The Flash Companion. He lives in north Seattle with his wife and three kids.

For a zero issue from a brand new publisher, this has real promise.

We've needed a book like Comic Art Propaganda: A Graphic History for a while. Its too bad it's not a perfect book, but it is a really fun collection of some of the most intriguing works in comics history.

Jim's Comic Fan! is an absolute treat, and one of the most satisfying and interesting fanzines I've seen this side of the TwoMorrows zines. Ordering information can be found here.

This has the promise of being a wonderful new series, taking a position somewhere on the less-serious side of Astro City. I can't wait to see what kind of crullers Hickman cooks up in the future.

The real problem with this issue is that the story feels very uneven. Writer Tim Truman doesn't successfully tie the Corben and Giorello stories together. Both are interesting, but there's no sense of why these two stories are juxtaposed next to each other, of why a reader should feel it important to consume these stories together rather as separate tales. Perhaps this will all tie together in a future issue, but here the stories just don't fit well together. I would buy this book just for the amazing Corben art and stories, but I wish the main story was just a bit more compelling.

Of course, this review really is the equivalent of reviewing the first 20 minutes of a movie. All of the flaws that seem so evident at this point may end up being virtues in the end. I trust these terrific creators to deliver a good graphic novel based on their history. But the first chapter is a bit slow.

Its hard to judge the quality of this issue as a discrete comic because it so clearly is setting up future issues. But theres a lot of promise in this comic. When it all gets collected together, Dan Dare could be a real winner.

This isn't quite the greatest comic in history, but it's a lot of fun if you're looking for something as mindless as the creature at the center of this story.

This comic has soul and smarts, frightening creatures and frightening humans, and a premise that gets scarier the more time you spend in Death Sentences London. I enjoyed my trip to one of the worlds most terrifyingcities.

This isn't the most intellectually stimulating comic out there, but it's tremendously outrageous fun. Any comic that starts with a character literally crapping bullets and ends with Frankenstein attacked by werewolves has to be wild, and the Wachowski Brothers and artist Skroce completely embrace that wildness. This is brilliantly, wildly, fun.

You may not think of Bluewater as producing comics like you might find from Image and the other publishers. But they do indeed -- and this self-published comic is a slick and fun entertainment.

I also consider myself a liberal, and really appreciated Goodwin's take on the belief system that he and I share. Despite my obviously mixed feelings about the content in this book, I'd have absolutely no problem giving this book to my college-age kids to help them learn how the world has gotten into the state that it's in. But if you have differing views from me or from Goodwin, this book might infuriate rather than delight you.

I realize The Engineer plumbs a few clichs. If I see another comic with a giant crab creature, I swear I'll be sick. But I say give this book a try. It's a great comic for the money.

For me, Ex Machina #38 is very much like many other issues of this series. It's well written and intriguing, containing some interesting themes, but I just wanted it to come together just a little bit more than it does.

You may not think of Bluewater as producing comics like you might find from Image and the other publishers. But they do indeed -- and this self-published Fair Trade comic is a slick and fun entertainment.

Still, a promising beginning. As long as no clones show up, this might end up being a nice run.

I liked a lot of elements of Fiction Clemens the imagination of the scenes and setting, the uniqueness of the characters, and of course Joiton's gorgeous artwork. But I had trouble really following what was going on in this story, and I wish that weren't true.

This is a tremendously solid super-hero comic, well worth reading.

Flesh and Blood took me back to the classic 19th century setting of its story and the classic 1960s Hammer horror elements. But it does both in a thoroughly 2011 way that was tremendously satisfying.

Be warned that this is a small black-and-white mini-comic with a cardboard cover, more zine than full-sized comic. But at a mere $2 for this labor of love (there's a paypal link at the above URL), it's well worth checking out.

The art by Zircher and Hepburn is exciting. The opening scenes in the devastating city are detailed and intriguing, full of menace and confusion, but always with the villains front and center. He does a nice job of making the villains look distinctive from each other, with different facial gestures and attitudes. Some of the scenes in a hospital don't give as much a strong sense of setting than the scenes outside, but the unique-looking characters win out.

It's a tribute to the great editing by Jim Valentino and Kristin Simon that this book works so well. It's definitely worth the cover price, and it is an ideal book to share with your kids, young or old.