Alabaster: Wolves #2
Written by Caitlín R. Kiernan
Art and Letters by Steve Lieber
Colors by Rachelle Rosenberg
Cover by Greg Ruth
Designer Amy Arendts
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: May 9, 2012
Cover Price: $3.50

Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a strange title pounced out of Dark Horse last month and leaped onto comic review sites (including this very one), causing critics to shout their approval for Alabastor: Wolves. People spoke of the art by Steve Lieber and the writing (the dialogue in particular) by Caitlín R. Kiernan as being strong and fresh and unique. What particularly piqued my interest, however, was just how vague folks were in describing what actually happens in the book. Most reviews I read went something like this: “It’s about a little Albino girl who speaks with a southern drawl, walking a wasteland filled with werewolves and other monsters, who talks to a bird and an angel who tells her who to kill. Oh, and she might be crazy.”

“Heck,” I thought, “I can describe a comic better then that.”

I’m Not A Plastic Bag
Story and Art by Rachel Hope Allison
Forward by Jeff Corwin
Edited by Rebecca Taylor
Design by Fawn Lau
Archaia Entertainment
Release Date: May 8, 2012
Cover Price: $19.95

I’ve read comics with some pretty strange protagonists before, but this one was definitely a first. The main character of I’m Not A Plastic Bag is a large island made entirely of garbage, based on an actual place — specifically, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a large spot in the Pacific Ocean which, due to currents, collects most oceanic debris. By debris I mostly mean trash that washes out to sea, water bottles, tires, plastic bags, etc., and by large I mean estimated to be twice the size of Texas. So, very, very large.

Writer and artist Rachel Hope Allison‘s book is an odd and pretty ballet. This large, unruly mass of trash (loosely resembling Aqua Teen Hunger Forces‘ Meatwad) tries desperately to interact with the beautiful oceanic landscape it exists in, only to destroy whatever it touches, meanwhile getting bigger and bigger. There are touches of the Frankenstein monster here, which I suspect is what Allison was coyly referring to in the title. It’s almost entirely wordless with beautiful colors that tastefully know when to incorporate photography and mixes crazy layouts with lovely splash pages.

Take a second and think back on all those life-changing regrets you have in life.

Now suppose you have the chance to relive those missed opportunities. You can say and do all those things you wished you’d said or done. What would you do? What’s it going to take to get closure?

If you’re has-been comedian and actor, Guy Krause, these questions aren’t hypothetical anymore. In Dark Horse Comic’s new series Reset veteran underground comics artist/writer Peter Bagge brings his unique brand of humor to this story. Discovered by a rep from a small tech firm during a D.U.I. class, misanthrope Guy is recruited to be a guinea pig for a virtual reality product that lets him hit ‘reset’ on his life.

Probably most well known for his seminal 90’s funny book Hate, which famously mixed the Seattle grunge scene with curmudgeonly cartoonish aesthetics, we recentlly talked with Bagge about his comics career.

Take a minute and think about your favorite bad guys. Whether it’s planet-devouring Galactus or not-quite-as-threatening Captain Boomerang, supervillains come in all shape and sizes. The Supervillain Handbook: The Ultimate Guide to Destruction and Mayhem shows how you. Yes, YOU can be a part of this exciting, competitive world. We sat down with author, Matt Wilson who adapted the book from his blog The International Society of Supervillains, written in the voice of bad guy King Oblivion, PhD.

Geeks of Doom: Hello Matt Wilson. Can you describe The Supervillain Handbook briefly?

Matt Wilson: Sure. The way I sort of sold it is like this: Unemployment is so high, and there are all these problems with the economy for the last several years: why wouldn’t people think about Supervillainry as an option? However, I’d warn everyone not to take any advice from the book. I have no legal responsibilities for any City Halls attacked by irradiated killer apes.

GoD: Very safe. You’re credited on the cover this way – “As told to Matt D. Wilson.”

MW: The actual credited author on the cover is King Oblivion PHD, it’s all written with his expertise. It’s an expert’s guide to being a bad guy. The whole book is presented from an unreliable narrator perspective where according to him, he always wins. I might do something later where we find out what the real case is.

Fear Agent, Vol. 6: Out of Step
Story by Rick Remender
Pencils by Mike Hawthorne and Tony Moore
Inks by John Lucas
Colors by Lee Loughridge
Letters by Rus Wooton
Covers by Tony Moore
Trade Cover by Jerome Opena and Matt Wilson
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: April 18, 2012
Cover Price: $16.99

Rick Remender‘s redneck space opera Fear Agent has drawn to a close, all that’s left to do now is read the obituary, close the casket, toss the flowers into the grave and call it a day.

Remender (X-Force, Punisher) has been teaming with an array of comic book talents, most notably artist Terry Moore (Walking Dead) since 2007 on this colorful ode to rocketships and ray guns. Heath Huston, formally from Ennis, Texas, is now roaming the galaxies seeking adventure, excitement, and a handle of whiskey…

[Minor spoilers begin] at least on the surface. What he’s actually searching for is a place in the universe. He’s the last of the Fear Agents, a battalion that unsuccessfully fought an alien occupation of Earth that wiped out most of the population, including much of his family. [Minor spoilers end]