Kieran Hair Comic Reviews

A&A: The Adventures of Archer and Armstrong #1 is an amazingly fun comic with a surprising amount of heart. Some may argue that the humor can almost get a little too ham-fisted and self-referential at times, but it succeeds far more often than it falls flat. As someone who is being introduced to these characters for the first time, I can say from experience that this is a great comic for newcomers to the series. I have no idea what they have in store for us next, but I definitely know I'll be waiting on the edge of my seat to find out.

Vertigo has something good on their hands with Clean Room. I knew this when I read Clean Room #1, and I am ten times as certain now that I have read Clean Room #6. The detective may feel a bit shoehorned in at this point, and perhaps the notion of a cloud-busting cannon eradicating a race of evil entities is a bit more sci-fi than horror, but this almost works to the series' favor. Everything I might write down as a criticism has still succeeded in that it has made me want to read more. Because dang it, I want answers. And if the next arc is going to be as fun as this one, I'm willing to wait as long as it takes for those answers to get here.

Garfield's Cheesy Holiday Special isn't necessarily out to impress anyone, but it will certainly entertain. The writers and artists did an excellent job of giving us two very different kinds of Garfield, one with a bit more depth and one with a bit more cartoon zaniness. The depth doesn't quite work for the cynical adult (read as: the kind of adult who reads Garfield), but the fun factor is consistent throughout pretty much the whole issue. This shouldn't top your list of things to read, but it's certainly worth a purchase.

The Haunted Mansion #1 is now available, with special variant covers at Disney theme parks and Books-A-Million.

Overall, I, Mage #2 is an extremely well-done comic. With the exception of a few plot points that confused me (and only when I reconsidered them upon a second reading), everything about it is thoroughly enjoyable. Only two issues in (technically three if you count I, Mage #0), it already feels like a huge world with all sorts of complicated politics and arcane elements driving unseen forces we've only begun to discover. That's a brilliant accomplishment for such a young series, and I sincerely hope that Action Lab will keep it going for quite some time to come.

Irwin Allen's Lost in Space: The Lost Adventures #1 is currently available for digital download on comiXology at only $0.99, and will be hitting shelves next week.

Jem and The Holograms #13 is one of the most ambitious issues released thus far, with amazing bits of abstract/cubist artwork and Thompson's signature characterizations that cause you to realize the strength of just a single well-written line when combined with an appropriately subtle facial expression. Jem and The Holograms is a true team effort, and this issue makes that clearer than any before it. Maybe I didn't love how certain plot elements were resolved, but this was still the most enjoyable reading experience I've had since getting hooked on this series.

With an art style that straddles the gap between Eastern and Western animation, and a story that advances the plot of the series, the Jem and The Holograms Holiday Special is sure to entertain to continuously growing fan base that IDW has been accumulating. And in true holiday spirit, it just may teach readers a thing or two about the values of thoughtfulness, forgiveness, and the extent to which even those of questionable character may occasionally surprise us. This series is, if you'll forgive the pun, a true gem. It's nice to see it receiving the holiday treatment that it deserves.

Mars Attacks: Occupation #1 is currently on shelves, or you can procure a digital copy directly from IDW's website.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #4 continues the series' reputation for managing to strike a balance between artwork that feels true to the show and storytelling that feels as if it's matured with the fans. It would be nice to see the team stop arguing so much, but that change feels as if it's just over the horizon. As long as the quality of the art and writing keep up as well as they have, it'll definitely be worth it to keep reading and find out.

Star Wars Annual #1 doesn't deliver a big crossover, nor will it give you the same look at classic characters that Marvel has been delivering through most of their recent Star Wars comics. Instead, it gives you a well-written, character-driven narrative that will leave you questioning whether or not our views of the world"or of ourselves"are ever as accurate as we think they are.

As much as I enjoyed this comic with some mild enthusiasm, I'll probably forget about it by tomorrow morning. An annual comic featuring one of my favorite all-time villains and two of my favorite Star Wars comic book henchmen should be memorable. This one is not.

Between the quality of the artwork, the strength of the characterizations, and the richness of the city's backstory, The Precinct looks to be a series worth following. This is one of the strongest introductions to a mini-series I have ever read, delivering heaping amounts of both plot and backstory in just over 20 pages. If the notion of a steampunk police procedural is something that even remotely appeals to you, The Precinct #1 will not leave you disappointed.

You do not have to be a huge Transformers fan to enjoy Transformers: Holiday Special. The first story may feel a little off, as dependent on cameos as it is. But the second and third stories will have you aching to see more of these characters in action. The three creative teams each managed to create a work with its own personality, and the result is something that feels like more than your average holiday special. Pick this up again and re-read it in a couple of months, and you'll see that the last two stories are still strong as narratives within the comic book medium. And then, you'll seek out every issue by these writers so that you can add them to your collection.

Zombie Tramp #21 takes the series to new heights, reminding readers that Janey Belle is far more than a chesty delivery system for humorous quips. The fact that Janey is able to transition from a story arc involving evil cheerleaders to one involving the most horrific experiences from her past (with a nice setup for a rendezvous with Xula) is a testament to Mendoza's range as a creator, and it is one of the reasons Zombie Tramp continues to be one of my favorite comics around. The relative lack of humor may be upsetting to some who have only read the past few issues, and there are a few typos and misplaced homonyms that could have used some editing. Nonetheless, this is the best issue of Zombie Tramp I have ever seen, and will be a wonderful reminder to long-term readers of just how much this series can achieve when drama and characterization take point.