Frankenstein Alive, Alive! #1
Written by Steve Niles
Art by Bernie Wrightson
IDW Publishing
Release Date: May 9, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

Steve Niles is a master of horror comics. His ability to craft deeply frightening, personal horror stories is second to none. Niles is able to capture the darkest moments that any person can experience and reduce them to a conversation or a handful of panels. So, when it was announced that he would be working on a Frankenstein comic with IDW, it was not all that surprising. Frankenstein is just as synonymous to horror as Dracula or zombies. The shocking part of Niles’ Frankenstein comic, Frankenstein Alive, Alive #1 came from the content within the comic. Instead writing Frankenstein Alive, Alive #1 as a horror comic, Niles has infused this comic with a story about sorrow, despair, and the agony of being a monster.

FUBAR-The Devil’s Dance Floor
Story and Art by Jeff McComsey
Cover and Pin Ups by Steve Becker
Fubar Press
Release Date: May 5, 2012 (In-Stores)
Release Date: April 17, 2012 (Digital Download)
Cover Price: Free!

I have to admit, at first the idea of reviewing a comic that will be coming out for free on Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) seemed odd to me. That is, until I realized just how many free-of-charge offerings will be up for grabs on FCBD. FUBAR: The Devil’s Dance Floor is one of those offerings, and with no price tag, this comic is a no-brainer when it comes to picking up comics on FCBD.

It is not stretch to say that the zombie genre has been done to “death” in comics. However, with the hordes of zombie comics that lurch their way onto shop shelves every week, there is at least one that stands above the rest. FUBAR: The Devil’s Dance Floor seems to intentionally go out of its way to avoid tired gross-out bits that are so commonly found in this type of comic, and instead focuses on an interesting story.

Dogs of Mars
Trade paperback
Story by Johnny Zito, Tony Trov and Christian Weiser
Art by Paul Maybury
Image Comics
Release Date: May 2, 2012
Cover Price: $15.99

Dogs of Mars is a comic rooted in restraint. Nearly every panel of this Sci-Fi horror comic is a detailed study in delicacy. Everything from relationships to brutal violence is explored in Dogs of Mars. Yet, none of it is fully exposed to us as readers. When many comics sprint from one extreme to the next, Dogs of Mars plants the first seeds of terror from page one. The result is a completely visceral experience that will leave you checking to make sure your doors and windows are locked.

Dogs of Mars has a pace and tone that should exist organically in this genre of comic yet rarely does. Writers Johnny Zito, Tony Trov, and Christian Weiser have crafted something that will genuinely make you uneasy. That sense of discomfort is in part due to the fact that the writers of this comic have done everything in their power to alienate the reader. Characters are far from home, on an uninhabitable planet and they are being hunted. These are not careful calculating aliens hunting the unfortunate astronauts either. These are rabid and vicious beasts with snapping jaws that will eviscerate everything that comes in their path.

Marksmen TPB
Story by David Baxter and Dave Elliott
Script by Dave Baxter
Art by Javier Aranda, Jessica Kholine and Garry Leach
Cover by Tomm Coker
Image Comics
Release Date: May 2, 2012
Cover Price: $15.99

There is a delicate balance between interjecting a message subtly into a story and becoming overly preachy. In some ways, a compelling story has to contain substance and a level of depth to justify itself to readers. On the other hand, when an author has his characters shout from a podium about a hot button issue, it can become tiresome very quickly. Throughout this entire comic, Marksmen walked that line between tactful narrative and evangelization. The creative team behind this comic is enormous, so I can see why some ideas may come off stronger than others. The problem is that, when you are dealing with a comic of this scope, a cohesive tone is paramount. Marksmen would be an incredible and fun comic, if only it would stop telling us what bad people we are.

The Goon #39
Created by Eric Powell
Art by Eric Powell
Colors by Dave Stewart
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: April 25, 2011
Cover Price: $3.50

Eric Powell is unhappy with Marvel and DC. In fact, he is so annoyed by mainstream superhero comics that he wrote an entire issue about it. The Goon #39 seems to be the culmination of all of Powell’s frustrations with hero comics and the comics industry in general. This issue is a deconstruction of everything that Powell feels is wrong with mainstream publisher’s marketing techniques. Goon takes a break from cracking zombie skulls for an issue, and instead takes down the The Big Two. Powell attempts to bring every irritating thing about mainstream comics to light in this issue. The problem with this is, when you swing at every slow pitch, you are bound to miss a few.