Monster & Madman #2
Written by Steve Niles
Illustrated by Damien Worm
Covers by Damien Worm
IDW Publishing
Release Date: April 2, 2014
Cover Price: $3.99

Monster & Madman #2 is the latest installment of the three-issue mini-series by writer Steve Niles and illustrator Damien Worm. When a monster and a madman cross paths, will anyone truly be safe?

As the Monster finds himself in a city filled with people – and unsure of how he got there – he is faced with the fact that no matter how many living souls may be nearby, he’ll always be alone. When a doctor who goes by the name of John Moore finds him wandering about, he takes the Monster in, revealing that it was he who found him washed ashore. As the doctor’s curiosity regarding his guest’s physical state grows and unable to shake his own wariness about the doctor’s demeanor, the Monster becomes doubtful as to whether or not he should remain in the man’s care; however, when Doctor Moore offers the Monster a deal, his advances become a little difficult to refuse.

Monster & Madman #1
The Secret History of Jack the Ripper and Frankenstein’s Monster
Written by Steve Niles
Illustrated by Damien Worm
Colored by Damien Worm
Edited by Chris Ryall
Covers by Damien Worm
IDW Publishing
Release Date: March 12, 2014
Cover Price: $3.99

Have you ever wondered what became of Victor Frankenstein’s Monster at the end of Mary Shelley’s classic story? Did he perish while drifting off to sea on an ice patch, or did he survive both the bitterness of the wild and his own self-loathing? Well, the mystery is over.

Steve Niles new comic book contains the truth behind the Monster’s fate, and his secret history seems to involve an infamous villain from the past: Jack the Ripper. In IDW’s latest mini-series event, Monster & Madman, Niles, along with illustrator Damien Worm, weave an intricate tale encompassing such themes as inner-turmoil, murder, and insanity.

Ignition Vol. 1
Written by Various
Penciled by Various
Colors by Various
Edited by Andrew DelQuadro
215 Ink
Release Date: Available for Pre-Order
Cover Price: $29.99

So, there’s a review in here, promise, and it’s going to be about the new collection from 215ink called Ignition Vol. 1. The lede is just, as people who call writing a profession say, buried. First, I need a moment to qualify what I mean and give a frame of reference. So, sorry, but: you can always circumvent that by skipping to the end if you’d like.

There’s been something of a renaissance of creator owned content lately, with a bevy of titles being announced from creators like Grant Morrison, Steve Niles, Brian K Vaughan, and other industry heavyweights. Although artistic control has been a high profile issue in the comics world at least since the early 90s -what with the Creator’s Bill of Rights in 1988, and the creation of Image Comics in 1992- the past calendar year has seemed like something of a watershed moment for the publicity and frequency of creator owned projects. Every major publisher, I believe, has an imprint dedicated to these projects, and the whole thing smacks of a cash-in. That sounds cynical.