David Hines work on The Brave and the Bold has been fantastic. Aided by Doug Braithewaite and Bill Reinhold, he has brought us the strange planet Kahlo and the disturbing world of Arcadia Orphanage. Together, they have crafted a story that is exciting, frightening, moving (Im a sucker when it comes to crying kids), and also serious, all while managing not to choke the fun out of the book. This uncommon team-up of the mystical Phantom Stranger and the sci-fi Green Lantern, recalls some of the great Brave and the Bold stories of the 1970s. What more can be said? Make sure you check out not only this issue, but, if you missed it, the whole arc.

One would be hard pressed to find a better horror comic than Impaler on the shelves today. Harms' recap makes it easy to jump into this second issue without missing a beat. The action is very intense, and the vampires, with their demonic visages, are truly terrible sights to behold. The tantalizing revelation provided at the end of this issue promises more horrifying adventure to follow, hopefully a showdown involving the Impaler himself. Make sure you pick up this book before the rising tide of darkness spills over into your city!

If you have been enjoying Secret Invasion, War Machine, or Iron Man, youll probably get a kick out of Iron Man: Director of SHIELD #35. The story is fast paced and carries enough action to keep any reader involved. While some of the Skrulls fall a little too conveniently, the battles are terribly fun nonetheless. Adi Granovs cover art is worth the $2.99 price tag alone. Pick up this issue and treat yourself to a fun ride before the grittier ongoing series begins in December.

Madame Xanadu is nothing short of enchanting. This is certainly not the standard superhero fair to be sure. Matt Wagner's story does, however, present the dynamic sweep of what it is to act heroically in the characters of Madame Xanadu and the Phantom Stranger. Check it out!

This issue lacks the dramatic impact and character development one would expect to see in a group of people who are living through the end of the world. Even so, Wildcats #4 is a fun read. The art is attractive, the writing is funny, the action is engagingand theres a sweet Pokmon-reject plant monster. In the end we are left to ponder the Wildcats biggest dilemma: is restoring a world that has destroyed itself really the right thing to do?