Ned the Chainsaw Guy #0
O:PhX – The Hangover of Doom
Written and Directed By Oren Kramek & Omer Goodovich
http://www.nedthechainsawguy.com
Cover price: N/A; Available now

Ages ago, Ned was the one to end the Demon-Titan war with his fabled Chainsword. Today, he’s a lazy freelancer with Fabio hair and an obscured face, sitting and waiting for a zombie invasion or similar to give him something to do. Oren Kramek and Omer Goodovich have good instincts — now, if only they’d learn to rein them in. The blend of epic mythology and tongue-in-cheek humor make Ned the Chainsaw Guy an appealing read, but the complicated backstory creates unnecessary work. Likewise, lush colors and well-drawn characters are easy on the eyes, but extra clutter and a confusing layout make it a chore to actually comprehend the action.

Foxwood Falcons #1
Family Secrets
Written by Darren Sanchez
Art by Matthew Tow
Colors by Jeff Blake
Letters by FDS Studios
Cover by Bernard Chang
After Hours Press
Cover price: $4.00; Available now

Compelling, likable characters and nuanced relationships elevate Foxwood Falcons‘ intriguing but standard plot about a 12-year-old boy anointed the next Guardian of a vault containing legendary treasures from around the world. Writer Darren Sanchez has a knack for capturing the hopes and concerns of young adolescents. Protagonist Robbie’s geeky tendencies will ring all too familiar to most comic fans, while clean, unobtrusive visuals make it easy for even the most inexperienced readers to follow. The target audience for this title is probably a bit younger than the average Geeks of Doom reader, but it’s the perfect gateway drug (so to speak) for any kids in your life.

Andrea-D
Written and Created by Alex Lei
Pencils by Walter Geovani
Inks by Rob Lean
Lettering by Dave Rothe
Praxis Comics
Cover price: $2.99; Available now

In theory, Andrea-D is a strong idea for a comic — a beautiful, tough ex-Army broad setting out to right the wrongs of a very fucked up world. Unfortunately, in practice, the book relies heavily on lazy clichés and adolescent ogling. Neither the titular character nor her world is ever fully realized, which makes it hard to care past the first couple pages. The plot, which involves kidnappings of pregnant women, is workable, but the dialogue is especially uninspired — at one point, Andrea says aloud to herself, “I’m scared of the dirty secrets I’m about to find out.” The artwork isn’t bad, but unless you’re really into two-dimensional, black-and-white T&A, it doesn’t make the book worthy of your time.

Barren Soil #0
Tarnished Particles
Created, Written and Illustrated By Chris “Woz” Wozniak
MetroGnome Media
Cover price: $3.95; Available now

Bitter Midgets creator Chris Wozniak tries his hand at the noir genre with his new series Barren Soil. The premiere issue, about a conflicted lawyer and her wealthy client’s disturbing past, shows great but unrealized potential. The best part of this book is the moody watercolors, which perfectly evoke the atmosphere of a classic film noir and pair well with the dark and twisted tale. What’s lacking is his storytelling skills; he tells when he should show, and the pacing is inexpert. Keep your eye on Wozniak — once he finds a better, harsher editor, I predict he’ll be going places.