Survival Fetish #5 ends hard. However it might leave you feeling when it's over, there's no doubt you'll come away thinking there was no better ending to tie together all the blood and doubt that came before its finale"not if Kindlon and Fuso wanted to leave a lasting impression. And they did. They do.

Alt-Life is lettered using cursive script, giving all speech a celestial quality, even when they're talking about boredom and gangbangs. This is a book about an attempt to make a heaven out of hell. The angelic script in which all its characters speak is underscored by their triviality, their boredom, their resigned eagerness to be more than just their bodies. In other words, their utter humanity. Though this book lives inside a otherworldly science-fictional cocoon that is almost entirely devoid of recognizable politics, Cadne still manages to paint a striking portrait of the human condition within a post-human reality. Alt-Life is complex and simple, it's true and it's false, it's psychedelic and mundane " but it's totally worth your time.

As anyone can see by its lurid covers and the somewhat gross title, Come Into Me's unifying motif is the body, specifically as a threat to the mind. Exploring that concept by way of cerebral, cautionary body horror it offers a visceral rush.

In short, Her Infernal Descent is damn clever, not only in its ability to play Connect the Literary Dots, but in its use of these semiotic tricks to build compelling characters.

Besides the amazing artwork, this is a classic Mignola horror story that would feel right at home in Hellboy. Every single speaking character in this book is a personality worth paying attention to, from the crazed religious fanatic who tries to hunt Jenny down to the fishes that periodically pop into the panels to whisper "doom." Whether you've already experienced the inky-black horror ofJenny Finn or not, this version of Mignola and Nixey's tale is one you shouldn't miss.

Klaus is here to remind us of why winter holidays exist in the first place, and surprise, it's not so we can wake up one morning and voraciously tear open shiny packages filled with consumer products. These winter months have always brought a killing frost and long nights. In place of warmth we throw feasts, in place of light we look to each other" because what else is there to do? It's too goddamned cold and there's hungry wolves in the woods waiting to eat our faces off. The spirit of Klaus and his jolly fists keep the dark and hunger away.

Spurrier plays this issue like a harp. Just as you would expect his character to do, Judge Gallows provides the story with a sense of direction and a distinct moral conflict that can be sculpted any which way the writer wants. Perhaps most importantly, this issue grounds the story by summoning the very real skeletons of human history out of their closets. Gallows isn't just a fantasy villain in some distant fantasy land. He's a manifestation of an ugly truth that still plagues human life.

At nearly 40 pages, it is far too short, and its conclusion too abrupt. But what it does with the pages it has is deeply affecting.

Panel by panel, page by page, These Savage Shores flows forth carrying shiny fragments of written history on its surface. Using the combined blood and honor of disparate cultures, this story illuminates the brutality and romance of a shared past. Plainly: It's an amazing story, and it's only going to get deeper, better, bloodier.

Ezra Clayton Daniels' graphic novel Upgrade Soul explores both the desire to be "better" and the nature of being "worse" by way of a beautifully strange and eerie science fiction tale.

Days of Hate has been using expressive writing and artwork, as well as a very tight focus on these interpersonal moments, to let readers feel for themselves what it means when love must survive oppression.

This issue continues Euthanauts' strangeness and beauty. It will move you, shock you, and likely dazzle you with its art and shine.

The story starts only a decade or so after first contact but things are already leaning towards dystopia. Kaplan has arranged a scenario where things can only get worse for our planet. Sad as it is for Earth's high hopes, it will make for a compelling read in issues to come.

This series belongs to that sacred category of pulp fiction that wants nothing more than to excite and entertain. It's not trying to make a big statement or act as a catalyst for a 20-page think piece. It's just old fashioned vampire-killing fun, and I'm glad it exists.

Somewhere between The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and The Fifth Element lies Wasted Space, a compelling sci-fi lined with a satirical, sarcastic edge.

Fans of slow-burning horror will want to pick this up immediately. As the story tortuously spreads its tendrils out and stretches, reader are likely in for quite a sight.

Punks Not Dead #1 is an uncannily pretty comic with bizarre secrets to share. Due to the sublime artwork, the enticing plot, and the sheer energy behind this book, I can't help but recommend you pick it up.

Punks Not Dead remains quite a compelling mix of music and magic, and certainly worth returning to this month and next.

Having set this framework down in the previous issues, Punks Not Dead #6 feels like a true beginning, where the series starts on a path towards exploring the deep occult secrets at the heart of the story. The direction it's going seems to consist of parts Hellblazer and Love and Rockets, which is a combination I didn't even know would go well until I saw it staring at me in Simmonds' blazing colors. Despite being the end of an arc, this issue is the start of something tasty.

Regardless of any allegations of actually blood relations, Del Col and Moore's Son of Hitler is more about exploring what it means to deal with the more problematic aspects of family's heritage. How much of yourself can you say is truly yours, and how much is inherited from your genetic past? In about 200 pages of suspenseful storytelling, Son of Hitler looks for answers.

Visually and verbally, The New World has straddled a lava-filled chasm between pop-surrealism and complete anarchy. The lover's fable buried under glowing mounds of experimental futurism gains just enough traction to be compelling, helped along by a firmly entrenched sense of radical optimism (in the face of possible annihilation). This issue ties the fable up with some harsh lessons and some unavoidable sentimentality, but lives up to the bizarre, politically-tinged carnival that came before it.

For those who take their fantasy comics with a heavy dose of horror and intricate artwork, Deep Roots will be a good read. There definitely something strange and alive lurking in its future.

This debut issue offers plenty of magic and mythology to get readers by. But while an understanding of voodoo mythology is not exactly a prerequisite for enjoying this book, your enjoyment will be much enhanced by some research into its rich history, an intellectual wrinkle that absolutely fits in the wide tapestry of the Sandman Universe.

Middlewest has gorgeous art and an odd but compelling story. There's a lot of dark feelings swirling within that form a striking contrast to the vibrant art"and, when it works, it works wonderfully. It will hit hard for the right reader. Others may simply enjoy its whimsical take on the rural Midwestern aesthetic, a look that I've always found myself drawn to for reasons unknown. Regardless of the reason, this comic has the potential to add a layer of magic to the traumas and joys of childhood.

All told, Relay #2 shifts its gears from cyberpunk thriller to a kind of comic book think-piece on colonialism and ideological control. There is an eeriness to this issue that hangs beneath every word, evinced by the fact that lives depend on the outcome of the conversation. Though it may feel preachy at times to some, the dialogue's heady topic is going to be a treat for anyone who wonders what it is that makes and breaks a civilization.

This odd book from a team of under-the-radar creators is worth the asking price, especially if you like unknown horrors, substance abuse, feelings of impending doom.

Whether the project will actually succeed in warping the minds of alternative and mainstream audiences alike depends on how the rest of the DC/Young Animal mashups pan out. As far as this issue goes, it feels much more like JLA doing a cameo in Doom Patrol than a harmonized synthesis of the two. That's not a bad thing. You definitely need to read this comic. Just be warned: it's not for the faint of mind.

It's hard to find clear footing into Prism Stalker's prismatic fever dream of bulbous tentacle faces and egg-bearing tissues, but it is worth the effort for the sake of the colorful, original world it introduces.

All that's missing so far is something to fear losing, someone we don't want eaten by the monsters. That's a pretty crucial piece. Maybe it's coming down the pipeline. Regardless of how the book turns out, when Gillen finally releases Die's RPG rules come find me. I'm down for a game.

The dangers and psychosis of conspiratorial thought are right there in the crosshairs of The Department of Truth, but I think it misses. (The bizarre twist at the end is off-beat enough to be intriguing.) The premise could speak volumes to the ways in which knowledge can be created and controlled by those in power to nefarious ends. The world we're all living in seems more and more like a conspiracy theory come true, so it's only fitting that Department of Truth should be right there to tighten our focus on it.

I want to traverse the universe. I want to try every space-drug available and I want to talk to pink squid-people in pinstripe suits. But I'm not sure Void Trip is going to get me where I want to go.