Sherlock Holmes: Victorian Knights
Kindle Edition
Written by Ken Janssens
Art by Matthew Martin
Colored by Vladimir Popov
Lettered by Bernie Lee
Covers by Matthew Martin
Bluewater Comics
Release Date: July 24, 2013
Cover Price: $7.99

The collected edition of Sherlock Holmes: Victorian Knights gathers the story of the Sidney Street Spectre and the Dancing Demon, two new Sherlock Holmes stories imagined by Ken Janssens. Originally released in four volumes, it follows the investigation of a murdered prostitute in what appears to be a haunted boarding house.

After being mistaken for the Black Spectre and attacked on the way home from another case, Holmes and Watson learn of a murdered woman whose body has just been found. Arriving on the scene even before the authorities have been called, Sherlock quickly proves it wasn’t a ghost that killed the woman of fright, but something much more sinister. From there, we get to go to the countryside to investigate a young man’s death, supposedly at the hands of the dancing tree demon.

The Mis-Adventures of Adam West
Created by Adam West and Darren G. Davis
Written by Reed Lackey
Art by Russell Dauterman and V. Kenneth
Colors by Kamui Ayama
Letters by Jaymes Reed
Cover by Joe Phillips
Bluewater Comics
Release Date: September 15, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

Adam West, the actor who played Batman in the campy 1960s series, has returned to his heroic ways. This time, however, he’s made the leap from the small screen to the comics pages. In The Mis-Adventures of Adam West, West is frustrated at the dark nature of most modern day heroes. Also, he is frustrated with his agent for showing him scripts where the main characters have questionable morals. West is inexplicably transported into one of the scripts thanks to a magic amulet that is sent to him. West leaps into the body of the main characters, and his age and appearance vary from script to script. West changes the story and makes sure that the hero in each story remains moral and upright. West is also trying to discover the orignins of the amulet, who gave him the amulet, and a way back to the real world.

Dorian Gray #1
Written by Darren G. Davis and Scott Davis
Art by Federico De Luca
Cover by Federico De Luca
Dorian Gray created by Oscar Wilde
Bluewater Comics
Release Date: July 25, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

Bluewater Comics is an independent comic publisher who is unique in their devotion to biography and literary adaption genres. With the success of titles like Quartermain and Sherlock Holmes, this month introduces readers to Dorian Gray #1, what could be its most ambitious ongoing monthly series yet.

Oscar Wilde’s wit is nearly impossible to replicate, and luckily the writers eschew attempting such a thing. Opting instead for a loosely based take on the Faustian themes and the characters in the original novel, they trade 19th century London for present day New York City. While Wilde is near and dear to my heart, I have never been a literary snob, nor do I intend to become one. Any medium that inspires people to pick up a book or enjoy said book again in a new way is a fabulous thing. Writers Darren G. Davis and Scott Davis just might have enough tenacity and decadence to make this comic fun too. That always helps, so people will actually buy it.

Vincent Price: House of Horrors #1
Written by Jay Katz
Pencils by Stefano Cardoselli
Colors Jeff Balke
Letters by Warren Montgomery
Graphics by Darren G. Davis
Bluewater Comics
Release Date: May 30, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

“I spoke with God in your little church here today. He says He’s expecting you”¦” – Vincent Price House of Horrors #1

This is my first foray into Vincent Price. Ever. Sure, I know who he is, and sure, I should probably be ashamed of myself for not being more familiar with his work. I came into this comic series totally cold, just looking for some horror fun in the vein of Tales from the Crypt or the recent Ragemoor from Dark Horse. I figured this might be a bit campy, but still have some creepy chills and fun thrills… and I was right!

I don’t want to spoil much, because half of the fun was coming into this comic with no real expectations and not knowing what the story was even about. Let’s just say church member Nick doesn’t spend all his time alone in his house watching television and reading the good book…

Orbit: John Lennon
Written by Marc Shapiro
Art by Luciano Kars
Letters by Jaymes Reed
Graphics and Editing by Darren G. Davis
Bluewater Productions
Release date: March 28, 2012
Kindle Edition

John Lennon, musician, legend, influence that stretches far and wide, messiah, pariah, master of wit, innovator, trailblazer… comic book character?

That’s exactly what Bluewater Productions tries to do with these adjectives and descriptions to bring to comic book life of one of the most enigmatic and forcefully creative individuals of the 20th Century (or arguably any century for that matter) with Orbit: John Lennon.

Bluewater, known for their prior work immortalizing many famous figures in its colored etchings within squares, now tackles the larger than life figure in Lennon. But, they unfortunately make the same clumsy errors here that deterred the other biographical comic book treatments that also attempted to mythologize public and famous figures from all stripes.