Ménage à Bughouse
Written by Stephen Lafler
Art by Stephen Lafler
CO2 Comics
Release Date: June 4, 2012
Cover Price: $39.99 HC; $24.99 TPB

Steve Lafler spent twelve years (1992-2004) writing Bughouse, during which he explores so much of the characters and the world, that it can be tough to encapsulate. The book follows the virtuosic Jimmy Watts and the other members of his band, Bughouse, as they rise through Bugtown’s (read: NYC) music scene during the jazz and ragtime explosions. Now, all three of the Bughouse stories – Bughouse, Baja, and Scallywags – are collected in this new omnibus from CO2 comics. Although he initially wanted to deal with the intertwinement of drug culture and the music scene, he also wants the book to be fun, and so the stories are light and breezy.

The way that Lafler deals with drug abuse is actually pretty unique in its own right. Everyone is almost laughably blunt about drugs in the book. Some sample lines of dialogue…

Heaven And The Dead City, Volume 1
Written by Raine Szramski
Art by Raine Szramski
Cover by Raine Szramski
CO2 Comics
Release Date: June 21, 2012
Cover Price: Hardcover $24.99 | Softcover $14.99

CO2 Comics presents us with Heaven And The Dead City: Volume 1, which is surprisingly detailed for a former webcomic. This tale of two cities (Tac and Zivvon) is focused at first on Palus, who watched Tac fall during his youth. Following the turmoil, he entered the priesthood in Zivvon but eventually found his own faith lacking…mostly due to the fact that he was a witch who was taught that his innate abilities were not in line with the teachings of the church. During the first act we see him leave his home in search of answers.

Twenty years passes and we are introduced to Yaira and her quest for supplies in Zivvon’s more remote areas. Her interaction with the monsters that dwell there gives us a bit of background as to why this city is still deserted. Some small number of other bit characters are introduced and are mainly there to build depth to the heroine and establish her identity with the local townsfolk. The real twist is at the end when we see both storylines begin to intersect. Unknowingly, Yaira has attracted the attention of Palus. Where this leads, we will not know until the next volume most likely.