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DAVE STEWART’S ZOMBIE BROADWAY ( Virgin Comics / Harris / Schenley / Neogi )

In Zombie Broadway, the human population of Manhattan has been decimated to the point where the only survivors are a few unlucky civilians and a bunch of stuck-up Broadway elitists. The acting mayor (the others have been eaten or killed) of New York has convinced the President to try taming the Zombies through theater before the ultimate resolution of dropping a nuclear bomb on the city. The story of Zombie Broadway takes the form of an ensemble black comedy full of violence and humor.

RUN!! RUUUUUUNNNNN!! It’s hard to remember the last time I read a comic this bad. Virgin sells this comic with a line “From the creator of the Eurythmics”. I’m thinking Dave Stewart should stuck with 80’s music be and left to world of comics to the professionals.

First up is the story. It’s horrible! Scientists discover that if a zombie is sang to, they’re less likely to attack because music is hard wired into the human memory of a zombie, and music makes people happy. As the story progresses, Stewart takes a page from George Romero’s Dawn of the Dead by making almost all of the characters not likable. When characters get eaten, I didn’t feel bad. The dialog was poor and disjointed and didn’t flow at all. I really can’t find anything redeeming about this story at all.

On to the art…not much better. There are some panels where the art looks professional, but it mostly looks like guys in artist alley who are selling with Xeroxed comics for five bucks. Honestly, I’ve seen 8th graders note book doodles with more terrifying zombies.

Bottom line: Save your $4.99 + tax and buy something worth reading.

Grade: F

The Mice Templar #4 (Image - Glass / Oeming)

Only the legendary Readers of the Wheat priesthood can approve Karic’s destiny as the prophesied liberator of all mice. But only knighted Templars dare enter their ancient fortress within the Great Ash Tree, while Karic must first survive the sacrificial rituals of the fearsome druid-witch Black Anaius. Also, the Hooded One reveals his name, and it may cost the life of Pilot the Tall.

With each issue, this series gets better and better. At first, I was pretty shaky about this rodent epic, which explores religion, culture, point of view and destiny. But with every single page that is turned and puzzle piece that fits, the story of The Mice Templar becomes more and more amazing.

Karic is a great off-centered protagonist that is joy to watch, he is too sure of himself in a situation when his pride will be his biggest road block, unsure of himself at times when he needs to step up… and always running at a break-neck pace in way over his head and never really thinking twice before a decision. Thankfully Pilot is there to help him out. It really is fun Karic is sort of a combination of young Luke Skywalker, Frodo and Gobo Fraggle… except as a mouse.

On a functional note, the art and story of the book compliment each other incredibly well to continue this grand tale… the only bummer is wondering how long it will be until issue #5

Issue Grade: A

Tales from Wonderland: Queen of Hearts (Zenescope - Brusha / Leister / Ruffino)

Wonderland returns in the first of three incredible one-shot issues! When two young twin girls are pulled into another dimension their purity will not be enough to save them. Lost, scared and unable to escape, the girls must find ways to adapt as they eventually realize that being raised by madness itself isn’t all that bad. Hold onto your Heads!  *Also featuring part one of a 3 issue part story that will reveal the true origin and discovery of the place known as wonderland.

I am a big fan of the original Wonderland sereis from Zenescope.  This one shot shows the fans that they are going to continue the dark, yet intelligent tales that will creep into our world from there.  Knowing that the main two characters here are pre-teen girls, this issue will totally creep out readers in that psychological way, but not much in the way of violent action though.  In my opinion a good, smart, scary story with a view images to make you look twice wins the best horror award over mindless blood and gore any day.  Anyone who enjoyed the Return to Wonderland series will want these one-shots.  Daniel Leister continues to show himself as a superb artist that show he is worth his weight and that he can project love, joy, beauty and insanity… and sometimes all in the same splash page

Issue Grade: A

Pullbox warning: due to horror content and visuals… not for the kids!

Shadow Hunter # 2 (Virgin - Jameson / Christina Z / Singh)

Beset by demons, monsters, and the shocking revelations about who she really is, Jezzerie Jaden finds herself trapped between two men who want her, body and soul. But does either of them truly understand the power she will unleash, or the unstoppable force of her wrath? Twists, turns, and be-headings abound in this climactic conclusion to the two-part storyline with stunning artwork by Mukesh Singh. You’ve never seen horror look so beautiful

Interesting book, in that not exactly what I expected way.  I didn’t check out issue #1 when that came out, but I thought… who knows, right?  Well, this was neither awesome nor as bad as I thought it would be.  The writing by Christina Z had great detail and good dialogue, but the over all idea is a pretty re-hashed  one.  A young person finds out one of their parents is a great demon-lord type and they are destined to be at their parent’s side… but they are going to use their magical powers for good.  I caught that plot on a two-parter of Teen Titans Go!  As far as calling this a horror book, I would say it’s a horror-lite.

So, overused plot in the big picture, good details work by the writer and very good art.  Far and away the best thing about this book is the great splash pages put together byMukesh Singh.  I hope to see many more project by him.

Issue Grade: B- (it’s the art!)

Neozoic #4 (Red 5 - Ens / Korim / Lam)

The walls of Monanti city are smashed, and the lives of millions are trampled beneath the feet of relentless dinosaurs. The Predator Defense League tries to stem the tide. The King finds his family kidnapped. But is Lilli to blame? When both father and mentor turn their backs on her, the emotional show-down turns deadly.

I don’t say this too often, in this particular way… but what a frickin’ awesome book! For those of you not familiar to this book, think of Mark Schultz’s classic Cadillacs and Dinosaurs and have it be more Conan and Tarzan and less Mad Max. The plot is high-energy and keeps it pumping from cover to cover. And in all honesty the art is so beautifully done that even if the plot sucked, you would still want to get this book. But given that this is one of the best fantasy comics I have read in a very long time, it makes it a must-have!

The prehistoric (or is it fantastically futuristic?) community of Monanti City is physically being torn apart on the outside by an army that there seems no hope to beat off. The city is being torn apart from the inside by political intrigue, greed, and a culture that seems to be a point of needing to break with tradition. This is an intelligent, well-told fantasy story with an art team that could not be better! The majority of this issue #4 is a huge on-going fight scene which is a absolute delight to take in. Neozoic is a rare and wonderfully balanced book, it knows exactly how to balance tremendous action with drama and schtick!

Taking a look at what Red 5 has given us so far, I cannot wait to see where they head in the coming year!

Issue grade: A
Series grade: A

The Megas #2 ( Virgin Comics / Harrison / Rubin)

As Jack Madison continues to investigate the puzzling apparent suicide of a prominent Mega, he finds out more than he bargained for about the structure he’s always put his faith in. Meanwhile a visit from his girlfriend creates more problems than it solves and he’s left wondering if he can hold onto anything he holds dear.

Part two of John Mostow’s new comic where the first issue blew my away. This issue….meh, not so much. Many of the same players are present, but this issue was missing the sense of awe and wonder I found with the first issue. It wasn’t wholly un-enjoyable, just different. The affair that Jack is keeping with a Mega princess is intriguing, but is really just a few pages in the book. The scene where Jack chases the youth across busy city streets gave no sense of urgency at all. It very simply “was”…that’s it. The dialog was average and lacked the “pop” I felt in the first issue. Jack went from special agent to what seemed like a regular beat cop and just seemed to be bored. The art also looked a bit different. No longer the high quality that once thought it was, it have a very low budget/artist alley feel to it. Even to a point where I was looking at a panel and had no idea what I was supposed to be looking at. Granted it was during the bedroom science, but I’m pretty sure I can recognize all the right parts..and this wasn’t one of them.Overall, I was pretty disappointed in the second issue of a book I lauded so publicly (I told everyone to buy the first issue). I hope issue #3 can bring it back.

Issue Grade: C-

Series Grade: B-

Brought to you by Kowabunga Comics, check them out!

Maintenance Vol.2 Fantastic Sewage & Other Stories (Oni Press / Massey / Rodriguez)

Doug and Manny are off on their most sensational, incredible, uncanny, and amazing adventure yet–you might even call it “fantastic”! When super-intelligent, teensy-weensy creatures claim the TerrorMax sewers as their own personal fiefdom, it’s up to our intrepid hero—er, janitors, to hit the drain pipes and clean up these micro-invaders once and for all!

The first part of this book can only be described by an onomatopoeia: BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! The story titled “Fantastic Sewage” left me in stitches and made me pee a little. Massey and Rodriguez have supplied us with a story of two every day men launched into the ass end villainous comedy. Doug and Manny are not evil scientists. They are not seconds in command. Heck, they’re not even henchmen. Doug and Manny are they guys who clean up after the evil-doers and henchmen. In “Fantastic Sewage” we see a great tribute to the 1966 film Fantastic Voyage. But rather then saving a rich guy, our boys get shrunk down and flushed to have the world from microscopic beings living in our sewer pipes. It’s a great story full of hilarity.

Now the “Other Stories” section of the book didn’t hit with me on the same level as the first. There are some very funny parts, but as a whole it left me wanting. Could it be that I just need a heavy dose of Doug and Manny to get me going? Maybe, but still wasn’t as impressed.

Jim Massey (writer) and Robbie Rodriguez (illustrator) have proven their comedic metal to me. I suggest you pick up Maintenance, head to the closest bathroom, and enjoy some reading time.

Grade: B (lost points for “Other Stories”)

Hero by Night #3 ( Platinum Studios / Coffman / Patrick / Embury )

It’s all hit the fan. Roz has learned that Jack has been wearing the Hero ring behind her back, while Jack easily had the snot beat out of him by Saul Simian. But Simian’s not done. His bosses want him to go back and finish the job by killing Jack and taking the ring. How can Jack possibly beat Simian once he really means business? The answer may be hidden in the Hero’s old journals.

Ha! I didn’t miss issue #3! I’m very happy I was able to pick this up because I do not want to miss a page of this story. This particular issue sees Jack going another round with Saul Simian, whom we get a back story on, but Jack is also struggling to solve one of man’s greatest mysteries, women. As much as I am into the adventures of Jack as the Hero by Night, I found myself compelled by the story of Jack’s personal life. This is once again a throwback, in a good way, to the classic Spider-Man stories. Much like Peter Parker, we are invested in every aspect of Jack’s life. We want him to succeed as a hero, but we also want him to succeed as a building manager, neighborhood figure, friend, and future husband.

Big reveal this issue are the return (kind of) of the Iron Talon and the original Hero by Night coming to his senses!

Issue Grade: A

Series Grade: A+

Marvel, in collaboration with Soliel (an out-of-the-box acclaimed comic publisher from France), are bringing some highly praised and cutting edge sci-fi and fantasy books to the American audience in 2008.  This week in stores is a Soleil FREE preview copy giving a sneak peak at the four upcoming series.  Well worth your time to get it!

Press release:  Some of Soleil’s most popular releases, such as Sky Doll, Universal War One, Samurai and Le Fleau Des Dieux, make their English language debuts beginning this May. The first release will be Sky Doll #1 (of 3), a timely socio-political thriller in which a young android must decide her destiny by challenging the very government—and faith—that has controlled her life.
Soleil appeared on the comic scene in 1988 and quickly moved into publishing both classic comics by hot, young talent and series targeted towards younger audiences before buying great classics (Mandrake, Tarzan). Publishing science fiction, heroic fantasy, westerns and action comics from superstars such as Arleston, Tarquin, Mourier, Crisse, Swolfs and Ange, in addition to promising young talent, Soleil quickly established itself with a catalogue of powerful graphic novels.   Lanfeust, Soleil flagship fantasy title, is today a standard reference series and the keystone of the company: over 5 million books sold since 1994.   A top comic book publishing company in France with thousands of comic books in its catalogue, Soleil is producing over 250 new books per year and keeps expanding in other worldwide markets. Over the years, the company has positioned itself as both a leader in the fantasy genre and a major force in the European comic book market. Marvel.com

Sky-Doll #1 (of 3) May, 2008  The Story: The internationally acclaimed best-seller is now finally presented in English! Meet Noa, a so-called Sky Doll; a life-like female android without rights, who exists only to serve the State’s needs and desires. But when Noa meets two so-called “missionaries” who aid in her escape from her tyrannical master, all hell breaks loose for our cyborg siren as she uncovers clues that she may be much more than just a robotic toy. The first release in a new partnership between Marvel and cutting-edge French publisher Soleil!   Mature Content …$5.99