Hawken: Melee #1
Written by Dan Abnett
Illustrated by Federico Dallocchio
Colored by Chris Northrop
Lettered by Julia Fung
Cover by Tim Bradstreet
Boom! Studios
Release Date: December 4, 2013
Cover Price: $3.99

Back in April, I reviewed Hawken: Genesis, Archaia’s prequel tie-in to the hit, free online multi-player game, Hawken. Having never played an online multi-player game, I enjoyed the graphic novel so much that I even considered pursuing the world it’s set in some more within its main form of media. Well, Boom has just released issue one of the their sequel series, Hawken: Melee, and I obviously jumped at the chance to check out the newest venture into the gritty, war-torn world of Hawken. Does it live up to its predecessor? Find out below.

In Hawken: Melee #1, I was submerged into battle with a Mech (giant robot controlled by a human) pilot who was caught in the middle of a fast-paced attack from multiple opponents. “20 Seconds,” the first title in the five stand-alone issues series, literally takes place within the span of twenty seconds, though it feels much longer.

Spera
Volume 1: Hardcover
Volume 2: Hardcover
Written by Josh Tierney
Illustrated by Kyla Vanderklugt, Hwei, Emily Carroll, Olivier Pichard, Giannis Milonogiannis, Afu Chan and Timothy Weaver
Cover by Afu Chan
Archaia Entertainment
Release Date: March 12, 2013
Cover Price: $24.95

It takes a lot of courage to to step into the unknown and pursue a new life, especially when all you’ve ever known is one of luxury. Spera, written by Josh Tierney and published by Archaia tells the tale of two princesses who have no other choice but to start anew — and it is not an easy road.

Princess Lono’s safe and secure life behind castle walls has come to an abrupt end. Her father, the King, has been murdered by the Queen of a neighboring kingdom. Pira, daughter of the Queen, and Yonder, her fire spirit dog and protector, rescue Lono in an attempt at preserving their very lives. Venturing beyond all comfort in search of the magical land of Spera, the three companions will face many perils: demons, monsters, ghosts, elemental spirits, and worst of all, the pursuit of the Queen in the form of a ridiculously creepy young boy.

Cyborg 009
Hardcover
Written by F.J. Desanto and Bradley Camp
Illustrated by Marcus To
Colored by Ian Herring
Lettered by Deron Bennett
Designed by Jon Adams
Edited by Stephen Christy
Created by Shotaro Ishinomori
Archaia Entertainment
Release Date: September 24, 2013
Cover Price: $24.95

Archaia Entertainment has updated Shotaro Ishinomori‘s manga about a multicultural group of cyborg outcasts, Cyborg 009. A young man known only as Cyborg 009 wakes up in a top-secret research facility. He has no memory of his previous life. He is immediately told to destroy his predecessors Cyborgs 001-008.

Eventually, the cyborgs escape along with Dr. Gilmore, one of the more sympathetic scientists involved in the cyborg soldier project. Cyborg 009 learns about his origin and the origins of the other 8 cyborgs. Most of them were randomly kidnapped and they have very diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds. He has a bit of a rival in the group in the New-York born Jet Link, and a potential love interest in the French-born Francoise Arnoul. Cyborg 009 has to deal with an emotional tug-of-war between a longing for his old life, and the pressing need to unite with his cyborg brethren against Sekar, the villainous leader of the group that turned them all into cyborgs.

Mouse Guard, Vol. 3
The Black Axe
Hardcover
Written and Illustrated by David Petersen
Archaia Entertainment
Release Date: July 23, 2013
Cover Price: $24.95

The legend lives on! Mouse Guard, Vol. 3: The Black Axe, the prequel chapter in David Petersen‘s epic saga has arrived. Join me as I recount my quest through the pages of this valiant tale.

It is Spring, 1115, 37 years before the events of the Fall and Winter of 1152. The Guard mouse by the name of Celanawe is recruited by his only living relative, an elderly mouse named Em, to venture out in search of the long-lost mythic Black Axe. Accompanied by a bitter, rugged ex-ship captain called Conrad — looking to reclaim his title and good fortune — the two set forth on a grand adventure that pits them against a group of vicious weasel hunters, deep sea creatures, thieving, murderous mice, and a giant fox. As Celanawe and Em embark on their journey, much is revealed about the legend of The Black Axe and what’s in store for the future of its next wielder.

Strange Attractors
Hardcover
Written by Charles Soule
Illustrated by Greg Scott
Colors by Art Lion & Matthew Petz
Letters by Thomas Mauer
Cover by Dan Duncan
Complexity Maps by Robert Saywitz
Archaia Entertainment
Release Date: May 28, 2013
Cover Price: $19.95

Every once in a great while I stumble upon a book or comic that truly amazes me. Whether it is the artwork or the storyline, sometimes I am simply flabbergasted. Strange Attractors has made it onto this short list. I read it the same afternoon that it arrived but found myself reading it again the next day. I’ve already loaned it out to a friend, something I seldom do, because the graphic novel is just that good and needs to be shared with the world.

Combining science fiction and mathematics, the story revolves around complexity theory as it applies to the metropolis of New York City. Basically, this means that every small action creates a chain reaction that affects the greater whole. The main character, Heller Wilson, is a young man working towards his postgraduate degree on this very concept. He seeks out a former professor from Columbia University, a Doctor Spencer Brownfield, who was a known expert on the subject before leaving his teaching position under mysterious circumstances.