Swallow Me Whole
Written and Drawn by Nate Powell
Top Shelf Productions
Release Date: October 29, 2008

I tried to write a nice little intro paragraph for Swallow Me Whole, but rather than write something flowery and overtly descriptive, I decided to just cut right to the chase. Swallow Me Whole is one graphic novel that you should pick up above all other comic books out there.

Written by Nate Powell , Swallow Me Whole tells the tale of two step-siblings, Ruth and Perry, and how each of them deals with growing up in the suburbs and with their similar mental diseases. Ruth thinks that the dead insects she collects are alive and Perry thinks the wizard on the top of his pen is talking to him and compelling him to draw. Relying on each other to keep one another sane, Ruth and Perry do the best they can to keep each other’s demons in check and hope that there is light at the end of this rather dark tunnel.

I was not familiar with Nate Powell’s work up until I read this but there is a reason that this won an Eisner Award for Best New Graphic Novel. It is a great read. The story is nicely paced and the dialogue is realistic. He also creates some nicely relatable characters in Ruth and Perry [...]

Adventure Comics #1
Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Francis Manapul
Colors by Brian Buccellato
DC Comics
Price: $3.99

I may be the only one who signed up to get Adventure Comics based solely on the strength of Francis Manapul’s art. I became a fan of his work after reading it in the pages of Jim Shooter’s recent Legion of Superhero run. It’s a shame that the run was cut short, because his art was perfectly suited for that book. His art on that book showed that he could handle any kind of action sequence that was thrown at him. Fortunately, he’s on to bigger and better things, with this new (old) series that features the new adventures of Superboy.

Connor Kent is back from the dead, killed by Geoff Johns in the pages of Infinite Crisis, and returned from the grave by Johns in Final Crisis: Legion of Three worlds. Those in the know will remember that DC had run into some legal troubles over the use of the name Superboy, but they were able to clear that all up, and now he’s back and ready for action. This issue picks up with him trying to get back to a normal life. He has moved back to Smallville, and is living with Ma Kent, meanwhile he’s trying to live up to Superman’s legacy. Unfortunately for his peace of mind, Connor is only a half-clone of Superman, with the other half belonging to Lex Luthor, and this leads to him questioning what is behind his motives. Is he Superman, or is he Luthor? The first issue gives us a good set up for what should be a good run [...]

Sleeper
Vol. 1: Out in the Cold
Vol. 2: All False Moves
Written by Ed Brubaker
Art by Sean Phillips
DC Comics/WildStorm

Back in 2001, a funny thing happened. Noir style comics got popular. Sure, they have been around for a pretty long time but I think it hit its peak once noir-esque style writers like Brian Bendis, Greg Rucka, and Darwyn Cooke started to make some engrossing pieces of comic book fiction. And with the popularity came the glut of noir comics, filled with morally ambiguous heroes and deadly femme fatales. Some were good but a lot were not great. The worst part of it all was that with so many books out there, a great book was bound to be lost in the fold. Sleeper by Ed Brubaker (Daredevil, Criminal) and Sean Phillips (Criminal, Marvel Zombies) was one such title.

Though it garnered a lot of critical acclaim, sales for this title was okay at best but because of solid following plus strong trade sales, the entire series is finally collected in two volumes. This writer could not be happy about the situation, though he does have some small nitpicky grips about the new editions [...]

The Surrogates
The Surrogates: Vol 1
The Surrogates: Vol 2: Flesh & Bone
The Surrogates Operator’s Manual: Vol 1 & 2 (Hardcover)
Written by Robert Venditti
Art by Brett Weldele
Top Shelf Productions
Available Now

The Surrogates caught me by surprise when it came out a few years ago. Here was a book with a unique premise, which appealed to the Sci-Fi fan in me, as well as the crime drama/mystery fan. The story was fairly unique to me: In the future most people will not leave their houses at all, they do all their business and interactions through the use of realistic looking robots called Surrogates. These surrogates have changed all aspects of society: cops don’t have to worry about being killed in the line of duty; gender roles are easily switched by using a surrogate opposite of the users actual gender; and body image is no longer a problem, since your surrogate can be as good looking as you want it to be. All of this changes when someone begins to go around destroying other people’s surrogates. What follows is an examination of how we interact with each other in an online world, the role of religion verses technology, and really just a well crafted mystery.

The original Surrogates mini-series, by Robert Venditti is an interesting piece of work. It’s one of the most thought provoking series that I have read over the last few years. The world we live in today is one where people can go years without actually meeting people they interact with every day. You can keep up with complete strangers via any number of message boards, Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, or a million other social networks. You can raid a dungeon in World of Warcraft with someone who could be half a world away, or they could be your next door neighbor, and you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. The Surrogates takes the concept of this isolation that many people live their lives in today, and asks what would happen if no one had to leave their house if they didn’t want to. The best thing it does though, is take this interesting concept, and wraps it up in an also interesting murder mystery [...]

Strangers in Paradise Omnibus
Written and Drawn by Terry Moore
Abstract Studios
Release Date: 7/22/09 (San Diego Comic Con Exclusive); 9/2009 (Everywhere)

If you were one of the many people who attended the San Diego Comic-Con this year, hopefully you were smart enough to stop by Abstract Studio’s booth and picked up a copy of the Strangers In Paradise Omnibus. The entire indie comic classic created by writer/artist Terry Moore is collected together in 2 volumes for the first time and made its unofficial debut at the Con and I was able to snag a copy with the help of GoD co-owner Dave3.

Strangers in Paradise is a romantic dramedy that centers around two best friends who have known each other since high school. Francine is the plus-sized shy one, who is unaware of just how special she really is. Katina (aka Katchoo) is the fiery outspoken artist, who is extremely loyal to and in love with Francine. The series follows their adult lives and their ever complicated relationship filled with men, women, guns, and of course, the Mafia.

If you are not familiar with the series, I must say that my summarization of the series does not do the book justice. It is a great read and provides the reader with a variety of emotions. I cannot think of a comic that has so many funny lines of dialogue and heartbreaking scenes all at once. The story, while mostly soap opera-esque, isn’t afraid to tap into other types of genres as well. At any point in time, the comic shifts from a soap opera to a comedy, to a mystery, drama, and even action. It is a story that should entertain anyone who is interested in a great story. Above all else, thanks to the writing, you actually feel for these characters and relate to them. Don’t be surprised if halfway into the story, you start actually thinking these characters are real [...]

Spider-Woman: Agent of S.W.O.R.D. #1: Marvel Motion Comic
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Alex Maleev
Marvel Comics
Released: August 19, 2009
Price: $.99 (on iTunes)

Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev have been trying to get this Spider-Woman series off the ground for what seems like a decade, and they’ve finally managed to do it. However, Marvel has decided to make this series the first in their big push of Motion Comics, similar to what DC has done with Watchmen, and is currently doing with Superman: Red Son. I’m not sure who decided these motion comics are the next big thing, but somebody’s putting a lot of money behind it, so we’re going to keep getting them for a while. The interesting thing with this series is that we will see a print version of this story in a few months, but we’re getting the motion version of it first. The one thing this really has going for it is the price point of 99 cents on iTunes (available for the first two weeks, then the price jumps to $1.99). It’s much easier for me to make an impulse buy on this when the price is so low, and if they maintain that price, I could see picking this series up.

The story in this one follows Spider-Woman, or Jessica Drew to her friends, as she is recruited to become an agent of S.W.O.R.D. (as it says right there in the title). S.W.O.R.D. is in charge of protecting the Earth from alien invaders, and Spider-Woman is tasked with tracking down one of the Skrulls who recently attacked. She travels to the seedy Asian port of Madripoor where she ends up confronting him [...]

Jennifer’s Body
Hardcover Edition
Written by Rick Spears
Art by Jim Mahfood, Ming Doyle, Nikki Cook, Tim Seeley
Letters by Troy Peteri
BOOM! Studios
Release date: August 26, 2009

The hardcover graphic novel Jennifer’s Body is not a straight comic book adaptation of the upcoming film of the same name, although at a glance, buyers might not realize that. Rather, this graphic novel expands upon the Jennifer universe, created in the screenplay by Diablo Cody (Juno), and contains a collection of stories that tie into the events from the movie.

The main story of the film centers on Jennifer (played by Megan Fox), a beautiful high school cheerleader who every girl wants to be friends with and every boy wants to date. Her luck runs out one day after a demon enters her body when she’s used as a Satanic sacrifice. After that, Jennifer begins to kill and feed upon the boys at her school, while her best friend Needy plots to stop her. From previews and trailers, the movie has the dark comedy stylings and wicked female lead of Jawbreakers, but with more sex and gore.

The graphic novel, written by Death Metal’s Rick Spears, actually has very little in it of Jennifer herself, though we do see her go in for the kill several times. Instead, we follow her soon-to-be victims and learn all about what makes them tick, so that when we see the film, we’ll know if they really got what was coming to them [...]

Hum
Graphic Novel
Written By Scott Marcano and Tom Lenoci
Illustrated by Renzo Podesta
Diablo Productions
Cover price: $15.95; 250 pages, B&W w/ partial Color
March 2009

Throughout the history of humans, also apparent in our own everyday experience, the affluent have taken advantage of the downtrodden. Humans are also great adapters. We eventually, as a people, make the best of the situation we find ourselves in. We are also susceptible to the promise of ease and ecstasy. Well, off world and in the future people are no different.

Such is the story of Hum which is slowly, masterfully untwined over the first few chapters of the book. Earthling colonists travel through space and find what they believe to be a perfect new world. However, most of the population is debilitated by a natural element of the planet. The non-afflicted take this as a sign of their superiority and use the disadvantaged to do their bidding. This is a story all too familiar in our human history. It seems like a natural extension of our progeny. Just as it is that the afflicted rise to overcome their disabilities and begin to live life anew and begin…hum. But the masters won’t give up easily, using their own people with the vices of the time and planet, to fight their battles for them [...]

G.I. Joe Volume 1
Written by Chuck Dixon
Art by Robert Atkins

G.I. JOE: COBRA
Written by Christos Gage and Mike Costa
Art by Antonio Fuso

G.I. JOE: Origins Volume 1
Written by Larry Hama
Art by Mike Hawthorne

I had not really cared about any of the G.I. Joe comics being produced by Devil’s Due Comics for the last few years, which is not to say they were good or bad, just that I couldn’t be bothered to actually buy them. However, when I heard that IDW had picked up the license and was going to be making a new series, I was intrigued. I was further intrigued when I heard of their plan to release three series, all focusing on different aspects of the G.I. Joe mythos. Then they suckered me in with G.I. Joe #0, which came out last year, and gave a preview of all three series. Since they’ve started, I’ve been eagerly waiting for each new issue, mostly because each series has its own place in the story, but also because each has its own unique feel.

The main series, G.I. Joe, is the most traditional of the three series. It’s got all the characters you enjoy, running around in their familiar costumes, fighting crazy robots controlled by Destro, and looking for Cobra. It’s a fun series, particularly if you’re a fan of the original. It’s got everything I’m looking for in a G.I. Joe comic [...]

G.I. Joe Classic Vol. 1-4
Written by Larry Hama with Herb Trimpe and Steven Grant
Art by Various
IDW Publishing
Available Now

As much as I loved G.I. Joe when I was a kid, I never read too much of the comic series that Marvel released in the 80’s to tie into the phenomenon. And let me tell you, I loved the toys growing up, had a ton of them, and still have great memories of waking up before school to watch the show. Fortunately for me, IDW has set out to reprint the entire comic book series, and has done a great job with them. Having read the first four volumes that are out now, I realize that it’s kind of a shame I didn’t read these as a kid, because these are some damn fine books for readers of all ages.

The first volume is kind of weird, at least to someone more familiar with the G.I. Joe cartoon series than the comics, as these issues have a very different tone from the show. Gone are the goofy costumes (for the most part) and a lot of the classic characters. No, the series actually starts as a more or less straight war comic, with more focus on the regular soldiers than on any crazy technology.

Reading the first few volumes, you could almost forget that the comic was designed to sell the toys, but that does creep up more as the series goes on, with the Joe’s or Cobra getting a new vehicle every issue. Sure, there are bits of the stuff I remember; Cobra Commander and the Baroness are still the big enemies, Snake Eyes and Scarlett are hanging around, but a lot of the Joes I remember don’t start showing up till around volume 3 [...]

Richard’s Stark’s Parker: The Hunter
Adapted and Illustrated by Darwyn Cooke
Edited by Scott Dunbier
IDW Publishing
Release date: July 22, 2009

When artist/writer Darwyn Cooke finished his run on Will Eisner’s The Spirit, I am sure I was not the only one that was eagerly anticipating his next project. Would he continue to play in the DC playground or perhaps venture into Marvel territory? Or maybe he would just forgo the big two and just go the creator-owned route. When the news broke at last year’s San Diego Comic-Con on Cooke’s next project, few would have guessed it would be with IDW Publishing but even more were surprised when the project in question would be an adaptation of The Parker novels by Donald Westlake.

Donald Westlake (for those like myself who was not familiar with the author), was a critically acclaimed crime novelist back in the late 1950’s. Best known for the creation of the Parker character, Westlake had twenty-four of the twenty eight crime novels written under the Richard Stark pseudonym centered on the popular anti-hero. Even if you are not familiar with the character, you be hard pressed not to notice Westlake’s work in the mainstream media.

From Point Blank to Payback, the Parker novels have been adapted numerous times on film but never has the author allowed the Parker name to be used until now. Just before Westlake passed away in 2008, he gave Cooke permission to adapt the story and introduce the Parker character to the graphic novel world in a series of four graphic novels set to come out yearly.

Dusk Vol. 1
Written by David Doub
Pencils by Maki Naro, Jerry Gonzales, Franc Czuba
Inks by Chris Scott, Jerry Gonzales
Letters by Jaymes Reed
Independent

A newly turned vampire must resist his own unnatural urges in order to save his wife’s life. A chance encounter with a private investigator leads to a reunion between a vampire hunter and the husband she’d almost forgotten. A teen’s mystical dalliances place a curse on his school that few, if any, may survive.

These are the tales of Dusk, David Doub’s independently published Gothic horror comic. Collected in this trade paperback volume are the first four issues of the black & white series, created and written by Doub, illustrated by Maki Naro, Jerry Gonzales, Franc Czuba, and Chris Scott, and lettered by Jaymes Reed.

This was a difficult review for me to pin down. Typically, I have a prevailing feeling after finishing a given book that will guide me through the process of writing about it, but in this case, I was left very much in limbo. I have negative things to say, yet I can’t bring myself to give a wholly bad review. I have positive things to say, yet I’d be remiss if I just fluffed it and went on my way. So, I’m going to try something new [...]

Captain America: Reborn #1
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Penciler: Bryan Hitch and Butch Guice
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Release date: July 1, 2009

I should be more excited about this. I have loved Ed Brubaker’s run on Captain America since I picked up the first trade. It’s probably my favorite book that I’m currently reading on a monthly basis. So why is ‘underwhelmed’ the first word coming to mind? I’ll tell you why: it’s mostly that too much of Captain America: Reborn #1 is spent recapping info that was recapped two weeks ago in Captain America #600. So what we get is a second issue in a row of set-up; well-illustrated set-up, but set-up nonetheless.

This issue follows from where Issue #600 left off. Sharon Carter and the Falcon take the gun that killed Steve Rogers to Hank Pym for some investigation. They discuss Sharon’s memories from when she was under the Red Skull’s control and how she saw what could be one of Dr. Doom’s Time Platforms and that the Red Skull may have already brought Steve back. Meanwhile, the current Cap and the Black Widow try to track down the Time Platform so they can see what it really is. Unfortunately, the Platform is in the custody of Norman Osborne, so they have to break into a H.A.M.M.E.R. facility, where all does not go according to plan. Finally, we get a hint of what may be happening to Steve, and how he may be brought back [...]

Captain America #600
Written by Ed Brubaker
Art by Butch Guice and others
Marvel Comics
Price: $4.99
Released date: June 15, 2009

The big news in the comics world was Marvel’s announcement of the imminent return of the original Captain America, Steve Rogers. Now if you’ve been reading comics for any amount of time, you probably know that death is only a temporary issue for any of the major characters, and that eventually ALL dead characters will be coming back, so I wasn’t surprised to hear that Steve would be coming back.

I had hoped that Marvel Comics would leave him alone for a while, mostly because the current Captain America series following Steve’s old sidekick Bucky Barnes as Cap has been amazing. The twenty-five issues since Steve Rogers’ “death” have been easily the best book being produced today by anyone. The series has been consistently smart, action-packed, and straight-up entertaining, and it’s all due to the writing of Ed Brubaker, who managed to bring back Bucky and make it not only believable, but compelling. Now that we’ve seen the start of the return of Steve Rogers, it will be interesting to see if Brubaker can maintain the high level of quality that he has brought to this title [...]

The Deadbeat
Story and Words by Jeremy Massie
Alterna Comics

After finishing The Deadbeat (Alterna Comics) a serious, graphically told story wrapped in the familiar guise of super-hero fiction, I’m left wanting more.

The story, written and illustrated by Jeremy Massie, follows an unnamed super-powered man who whose average day consists of going to the local pub to get drunk off of the chocolate-flavored beverage “YooHoo” served in a dirty glass — the only thing that’ll affect him due to his inherent invulnerability. His retirement, so to speak, came as a result of an epic battle with a mad scientist that killed hundreds of civilians, which included his wife. Distraught from this loss, he sends his infant daughter Vera to live with her aunt. Years later, he receives a letter informing him of Vera’s death, allowing him to further plunge into a shell of his former life.

When Vera, now fully grown with powers of her own, appears at the pub, our invulnerable man comes out of retirement with a new outlook on life [...]

Out there in the world, right this moment, there are countless independent comic book writers and artists trying to make their mark in the comic world. Silber Media is one of those folks, but instead of sticking on the regular path or taking the new road of digital comics, these guys and gals took an alternative path rarely traveled: mini-comics!

Mini comics aren’t comic books, and they’re not comic strips. They’re kind of a hybrid of the two. Each is about the size of a matchbook, with one panel, one picture, and one or two lines of dialogue on each page, but in the page-turning book format. Basically, you throw a handful of them in your pocket and go wherever you need to go. At a low point in your day, grab a mini-comic and go to town.

Currently, Silber has multiple mini-comic series going on, including Lost Kisses — which follows a lowly stick figure on his bitter, loathing quest for vengeance on a hated ex girlfriend; as well as Worms — a nightmare of a story that sees a girl waking up in a mysterious hospital, tied to her bed and attached to an IV with worms in it that slowly work their way into her system. [...]

X-Men: Manifest Destiny
Written by Jason Aaron, Mike Carey, Frank Tieri
Drawn by Michael Ryan, Stephen Segovia, Takeshi Miyazawa
Marvel Comics
Release date: May 13, 2009

Having been decimated, become an endangered species, and developed a Messiah Complex, it is safe to say that the X-Men have had a rough couple of years. The years have not been kind to the merry mutants as their population dwindled and the hatred toward them increase twice fold. In their latest storyline, Manifest Destiny, with their home in ruins and with no allies to be found, the X-Men have decided to abandon their home in Westchester and set up shop in mutant friendly San Francisco. It is there with Warren Worthington’s (aka Angel) money, they set up a new facility to house any mutant in need of shelter, sort of like a new age Xavier Academy.

The storyline is actually pretty entertaining but too bad it is not in this hardcover. X-Men: Manifest Destiny hardcover does not collect the main story but rather the back stories and various mini-series that spun off from the storyline itself. One of the mini-series that it collects are Wolverine: Manifest Destiny, where fists fly and kung fu chops are thrown as Wolvie must confront his past in the heart of San Francisco’s Chinatown. In Nightcrawler: Manifest Destiny, our favorite elf heads off to a museum dedicated to him and the monster that lurks the area. Other back up stories revolving around Iceman, Mystique, and Boom-Boom that were presented as back up stories are also published in this book [...]

Atomic Robo and the Shadow From Beyond Time #2
Written by Brian Clevinger
Art by Scott Wegener
Colors by Ronda Pattison
Red 5 Comics
Release date: June 3, 2009

First off, how can you NOT love a comic called Atomic Robo and the Shadow Beyond Time? Everything you need to know about this comic is sitting right there in the title. It’s got robots, horror, and just the right about of humor. Of course, the book itself is pretty good too, which is a good thing because people generally buy a comic for more than just its title.

This is the third mini in the Atomic Robo series, and from the first two issues, I’m enjoying it even more than I did the first two. In this one, we follow Atomic Robo in 1920’s New York as he has to stop a Lovecraftian monster who has taken over the body of the actual H.P. Lovecraft. And that’s not even the craziest of the ideas in this issue. Brian Clevinger continues to make this a supremely fun comic. It’s filled with a lot of humor, but I wouldn’t really describe it as a humor book. It’s an adventure book, and Clevinger always keeps the action at the forefront. This issue in particular has a great balance between action and comedy, as Robo has a great conversation with Nikola Tesla while taking on the monster. The other nice thing about this series is that you never know what kind of story is going to be told. Each series has told a different kind of story, yet the central character keeps the whole thing together.

The Muppet Show #3
Written and drawn by Roger Landridge
Boom Studios
Release date: June 3, 2009

When news came down the pipe that Boom! Studios was creating a line of child-friendly comics off some licensed properties, I was pretty surprised. I mean, it is tough enough for a smaller publisher to publish non superhero-centric books in this current market, let alone comics geared towards kids. It has the terms “no good deed goes unpunished” and “shoot yourself in the foot” written all over it. But, leave it to the crafty publisher to bring out several quality properties that not only have massive kids appeal, but also mainstream appeal such as The Muppet Show.

Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Fozzy, and the rest of the Muppets are back in comic form once again. Following the pattern of the original variety show, readers are treated with an actual Muppet Show as seen on TV, filled with musical numbers, skits, and backstage shenanigans that you come to know and love. While the show is in session, readers are given a main story to follow that spotlights one member of the Muppet clan. So with any given issue, the focus is on a different Muppet and their story.

Writer/artist Roger Landridge does a great job creating a whole Muppet episode on paper [...]

Hotwire; Requiem for the Dead
#3 of 4
Written, Illustrated and lettered by Steve Pugh
Created by Warren Ellis and Steve Pugh
Radical Publishing, Inc.
Cover price: $2.99; On-sale date: May 2009

“Blue-Lights have started to penetrate the suppressor fields into the cities and are possessing the living. The living are being turned into “Ghost-Bombs,” capable of enormous damage. When the dead threaten the living, you call the police and they have a department of One to take care of the problem. The Detective Exorcist, Alice Hotwire.”

This is the foreword on this Warren Ellis and Steve Pugh created miniseries. Newcomer Radical Publishing is producing this comic, based on a story by Warren Ellis, which, judging by the intense, strange, vivid world and equally traited characters, is not hard to believe. Steve Pugh is handling the rest of the series though, by writing, illustrating and even lettering this futuristic/technological ghost/zombie story [...]