Signal to Noise
Written by Neil Gaiman
Illustrated by Dave McKean
Cover by Dave McKean
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: December 11, 2013
Cover Price: $24.99

Like a special treasure tucked away for safe-keeping, Signal to Noise by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Dave McKean has been pulled out of the trunk, dusted off, and re-issued in its entirety by Dark Horse in a single, stunning volume.

Originally serialized in the 1980s in the avant-garde fashion magazine The Face, Dark Horse pulled together the segments of this sobering tale of a filmmaker who learns he has a terminal illness and may never complete is magnum opus and first released them as a graphic novel in 1992. The story, however, takes on a completely different tone in our post-Y2K-crazed world than it possessed before, and that tone only helps to strengthen the message contained within.

The Beast of Wolfe’s Bay
Trade Paperback | Kindle Edition
Written and Illustrated by Erik Evensen
Color Assists by Jeff Fugelsang
Lettered by Matt Talbot
Evensen Creative
Release Date: March 9, 2013
Cover Price: $17.99

As expected, strange and fascinating things happen when an instructor of Art and Design decides to retell the epic story of Beowolf in the form of an indie graphic novel, giving it a tone of Twin Peaks-meets-The Legend of Boggy Creek, and then uses Kickstarter to fund the project. The result is the quirky (some might say geeky), well-researched, and carefully executed tale entitled The Beast of Wolfe’s Bay by Erik Evensen from Evensen Creative.

Evensen propels reluctant grad student Brian Wegman on an exciting mission as a consultant in a police investigation at Wolfe’s Bay. Why Brian? Because the case involves the deaths of two students at the hands of what may or may not be a giant primate, and Brian has the know-how in the niche specialty of paleoanthropology that the police need to solve the mystery.

Breath of Bones: A Tale of the Golem #2
Written by Steve Niles
Illustrated by Dave Watcher
Lettered by Nate Piekos of Blambot
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: July 10, 2013
Cover Price: $3.99

Steve Niles and Dave Watcher pack even more punch into Breath of Bones: A Tale of the Golem #2 than they did with their breathtaking series launch. This second installment of the three-issue special from Dark Horse gets right down to business with the imminent threat of the German army swarming young Noah’s village in search of the Allied pilot who crash-landed there in issue one, and the story grips the reader tightly until the very last page.

The village is torn between holding their ground or fleeing in hopes of reaching the border before the Germans catch up to them on the road. Noah’s grandfather insists that they stay, keeping the ace up his sleeve that he has a magical backup plan in case things go sour, and the rest of the townspeople reluctantly agree.

Two enemy scouts arrive on a reconnaissance mission and begin searching barns for the missing pilot. When they find him, the pilot’s brash actions result in everything the villagers had hoped to prevent.

Eerie #3
Written by Landry Q. Walker, Jonathan Case, Gerry Boudreau
Illustrated by Troy Nixey, Jonathan Case, Wally Wood
Lettered by Nate Piekos of Blambot
Cover by Jim Pavelek
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: July 10, 2013
Cover Price: $3.99

Eerie #3 from Dark Horse Comics blasts off with three new tales of “Close Encounters of the Spooky Kind” from Landry Q. Walker, Jonathan Case, and Gerry Boudreau. Unlike its recently-revived relative Creepy that’s taken on a shockingly modern feel, Eerie has held on to its vintage vibe in both story and artwork. This Golden Age atmosphere is crystal clear in the bizarre cosmic shorts of its latest issue.

Hunger (written by Landry Q. Walker and illustrated by Troy Nixey) tells of the plight of a benevolent alien who crash-lands on Earth and struggles to survive in an environment void of food. Upon making the discovery that human flesh satisfies his tastes, he struggles with the moral conflicts of devouring the race that he was sent to study. You can bet the tale takes a turn for the gruesome “” in the best and most Outer Limits way possible.

Billy the Kid’s Old Timey Oddities
Vol. 3: The Orm of Loch Ness
Trade Paperback
Written by Eric Powell and Kyle Hotz
Illustrated by Kyle Hotz
Colored by Dan Brown
Lettered by Nate Piekos of Blambot
Cover by Kyle Hotz and Dan Brown
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: July 3, 2013
Cover Price: $15.99

The twisted minds of Eric Powell (The Goon) and Kyle Hotz (Evil Ernie) have crafted a new tale of adventure starring their gruff and salty western hero in Billy the Kid’s Old Timey Oddities and the Orm of Loch Ness, the third volume in this brain-bending series from Dark Horse Comics.

Without even cracking the cover, and whether or not you’re familiar with the earlier books in the series, the title alone implies that you’re in for a wild (and strange) ride alongside one eccentric cowboy. Let go of any hold you have on reality right there at page one and let Powell and Hotz sweep you into their bizarre alternate history in which Billy the Kid works as a hired gun to protect a traveling freak show. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed that you did.