Mars Attacks KISS
Written by Chris Ryall
Art by Alan Robinson
Colors by Jay Fotos
Cover Art by Ray Dillon
IDW Publishing
Release Date: January 9, 2013
Cover Price: $3.99

Outside of my obsessions for heavy metal, sci-fi, and horror, I habitually find myself gravitating towards two distinct styles of media in entertainment: the dark, disgusting, and macabre; or the stupidity of plain ridiculousness and irreverent humor. So when fellow GoD of Thunder, Dave3, hurled out his list of comics available to review recently, it should be no surprise that my eyeballs became magnetized to a title that read Mars Attacks KISS.

I have been a KISS fan for 26 years, which is way more than half of my current lifespan, and so naturally my first two thoughts were, “Wait! Is this about the band KISS?” and “That is the most ridiculous comic title ever conceived – I love it”.

And it is indeed about the hard rock/heavy metal band I’ve obsessed over for nearly three decades – being faced with the skull-faced, brain-headed, ack-ack-speaking monstrosities from the film of the same name.

To put it guilelessly, when I scored this review for Geeks of Doom, it was like giving a jigsaw puzzle with alphabetized pieces to someone with OCD.

Being an Aussie Metal Head, I’m particularly opinionated when it comes to heavy metal from my home country. While international fans are very aware of the impact of bands such as AC/DC‘s early hard rock influence, many remain unaware of some of the hard-edged unyielding metal bands that have driven not only the scene down under, but the world of metal in general. Often ignored, I sometimes feel that Australian Metal gets the same respect as the creepy stepchild kept shrouded in the basement.

So it was with surprise that I was greeted with the news that filmmakers Nick Calpakdjian and David Hawkins are establishing a document of the history and influence of Aussie Metal with their upcoming film, Metal Down Under. As a fellow weirdo who self-proclaims to be your local Heavy Metal Historian, this makes me giddy with giggling glee. Uh”¦ I mean, it makes me pump my fist in the air and sacrifice a puppy to Satan. Hails and horns, yo, hails and horns.

Headhunters
Netflix | Instant Video
DVD | Blu-ray
Directed by Morten Tyldum
Starring Aksel Hennie, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Synnøve Macody Lund, Julie Ølgaard
Magnolia Home Entertainment
Originally Released: August 26, 2011

If you’re a fan of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo or a nut for Jaime Lannister from Game of Thrones, then it is without any doubt that I can say that you will want to watch the magnetic Headhunters. Trust me on this one: you will find your eyeballs nailed to the screen with this parade.

Continuing the "Scandinavian noir" established by other authors and many movies, Headhunters is a little deceiving, but in a good way. By its very title, you have established expectations, which get blown out of the water by the movie’s opening sequence, which then changes and gets whooshed out of the water even further by the progressions of the plot. You’ll have no idea what will kick you in the dick next.

Created in the home of Black Metal, the Norwegian film follows the character of plainly-named Roger Brown (Aksel Hennie) who leads a successful business life as a headhunter for well-established firms from throughout Europe. While he enjoys a high level of achievement financially with his career, it is not enough (in his mind) for the lifestyle he wishes to lead for him and his wife Diana (Synnøve Macody Lund).

Star Wars #1
Written by Brian Wood
Art by Carlos D’anda
Colors by Gabe Eltaeb
Cover Art by Alex Ross
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: January 9, 2013
Cover Price: $2.99

Boldly titling their new Star Wars comic series as just “Star Wars,” Dark Horse has launched a new look into the era of the heroes and villains of the original trilogy, specifically zoning in on these specific characters from the classic saga. Welcome back to Luke, Leia, Han, Chewbacca, Wedge, and Darth Vader. It has been a while, you lot. Sit down, stay a while. Fancy a coffee?

The new Star Wars comic series has erroneously been labeled as a reboot by many websites and fans, and yet the results are far from what this misleading label would suggest. In fact, it seems the reboot label was nothing more than a fantasy gone wild from a blogger who obviously finds comprehension challenging. This is not Star Wars Infinities – in fact, it is far from it: The concept behind Star Wars was to picture, in the minds and lives of the characters, that the events of Episode IV: A New Hope has quite literally just transpired, as if (to the characters) the events of the other episodes in the original trilogy haven’t happened yet.

Doctor Who, Vol. 3 #4
Written by Brandon Seifert
Art by Philip Bond and Ilias Kyriazis
Colors by Charlie Kirchoff
Cover Art by Mark Buckingham and Charlie Kirchoff
IDW Publishing
Release Date: January 9, 2013
Cover Price: $3.99

Do you like some of that wibbly wobbly jiggery pokery stuff from the cosmos of the Time Lords? Well, the latest issue of Doctor Who Volume 3 might just be up your alley.

Issue #4 of IDW’s ongoing adaptation of Doctor Who centers in on an adventure with Amy and Rory, obviously set before their departure in the television episode of “The Angels Take Manhattan.” The finale of a two-part story, “The Doctor and The Nurse Part Two” actually stands well on its own, so newcomers won’t get too lost in the missing elements of the plot if part one remains unread.