James Bond: M (One Shot Special)
Written by Declan Shalvey
Art by PJ Holden
Colors by Dearbhla Kelly
Letters by Simon Bowland
Cover by Declan Shalvey and Jordie Bellaire
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: February 21, 2018
Cover Price: $4.99

When you think of the James Bond films or really any of Ian Fleming’s 007 tales, you think of cool cars, quirky bad guys, and amazing gadgets. But James Bond: M, a new one-shot comic from Dynamite Entertainment, approaches things a little differently. This time it is all about the man behind the agent.

Flash Gordon #1
Written by Jeff Parker
Art by Evan Shaner
Colors by Jordie Bellaire
Letters by Simon Bowland
Edits by Nate Cosby
Covers by Gabriel Hardman, Jonathan Case, DeClan Shalvey, Marc Laming, Stephen Mooney, Ken Haeser
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: April 9, 2014
Cover A | Cover B
Cover Price: $3.99

Let’s be honest, I KNEW I was going to like Flash Gordon #1, but what I had NO idea about, was that I was going to absolutely LOVE it! Seriously, in one issue it’s all ready my favorite Flash comic since the 1980s.

OK, so you’re launching a comic series that is based on something that is, at it’s very core, FUN. Light-hearted. Lively. And, witty. So, your obvious choice? Jeff. Parker. The man who has written a ton of comics, none of which have made anyone want to shoot themselves in the head. He’s the guy who brought all the fun, charm, and wit out of the Batman ’66 TV show and put it into comic form! But, let’s stick to this book.

Moon Knight #1
Written by Warren Ellis
Art by Declan Shalvey
Colors by Jordie Bellaire
Covers by Declan Shalvey, Bill Sienkiewicz, Adi Granov, Skottie Young, and Katie Cook
Marvel Comics
Release Date: March 5, 2014
Cover Price: $3.99

Anyone who knows me know that I’m a HUGE Moon Knight fan. I’ve got every single issue from every single series that he was in. So, needless to say, I was more excited for Moon Knight #1 than anybody else on this planet. There was just one problem. I don’t usually like the writing of Warren Ellis.

Well, Warren Ellis proved me wrong with this book. He’s not writing like his usual self, and that threw me for a loop. Most often, when he takes on an already established character, he takes away everything that makes that character cool and spins him or her off in a totally different direction. Now, he does do that to some degree here, but he also leaves the core of who and what Moon Knight is. And, don’t worry, he even lets Moon Knight use his trademark crescent moon “moonarangs” or whatever they’re called. HE takes the character in a totally different direction than he’s ever been in before, but he makes it work and it somehow makes sense. I was very pleasantly surprised.

Conan the Barbarian #12
Written by Brian Wood
Art by Declan Shalvey
Colors by Dave Stewart
Letters by Richard Starkings and Comicraft
Cover by Massimo Carnevale
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: January 16, 2013
Cover Price: $3.50

Conan the Barbarian #3 is the last chapter of the excellent “The Death” storyline. This whole three-issue story has been fantastic, running the gambit from emotional to action-packed. This last issue is no exception.

Brian Wood continues to surprise me with each issue that he writes. On the surface, you’d think that Conan would be a pretty easy job, and maybe it was back in the 70s or 80s. But now, you’ve got to not only turn in a compelling and entertaining story, but you’ve also got to pour over a bunch of Conan books, as not to jumble up any other Conan continuity written by his creator, Robert E. Howard. This last chapter in “The Death” story is full of emotion, and a little bit of mystery. FINALLY things start to turn around for Conan and company, only to be hit by a huge shock that none of us ever saw coming. It’s got some great classic Conan moments, and it’s as entertaining as you’d expect it to be.

Conan the Barbarian #11
Script by Brian Wood
Art by DeClan Shalvey
Colors by Dave Stewart
Letters by Richard Starkings and Comicraft
Cover by Massimo Carnevale
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: December 12, 2012
Cover Price: $3.50

Conan the Barbarian #11 is the second part of “The Death” story line. For my money, this has been THE best arc of Brian Wood’s 11 issues. When we last left Conan, things were grim. Both his lover, Belit, and the crew of their ship, had taken ill with some kind of plague or sickness that was killing them off one by one at a pretty fast rate.

Brian Wood does, in my opinion, his best writing of his Conan career in this issue. As Conan reluctantly leaves Belit and his shipmates to go out and find a cure for what’s ailing them, Belit and the crew continue to get worse. Conan must go through a bunch of locals to get to a healer, and then, things just get worse from there. I will say, this issue gives us Conan, not as a barbarian, but as a HUMAN BEING. It’s really quite jarring and emotional…and I LOVED IT!

Conan the Barbarian #10
Script by Brian Wood
Art by Declan Shalvey
Colors by Dave Stewart
Letters by Richard Starkings and Comicraft
Cover by Massimo Carnevale
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: November 14, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

Conan the Barbarian #10 is one of the strangest Conan comics I’ve ever read. It reveals a whole different level of the Conan character that I’ve never seen before. And that is, complacency. Something that’s rarely if EVER seen in a Conan comic. I’ll be honest, it was a little unsettling to see Conan the Barbarian…happy.

Writer Brian Wood continues his excellent run on this title with the first chapter in a new storyline, titled “The Death.” We find Conan happily living on a pirate ship with his love, Belit, going from port to port, raiding other ships, and basically carrying on a pirate’s business as usual. What’s odd is that for the first time, we see a calm, satisfied Conan, one who’s not out for revenge or on a hell-bent quest for revenge, a mystic artifact, or a rescue mission. It’s a little odd to see him in this mood, but it totally works, and is a pleasant surprise. And just because Conan is “happy” it doesn’t mean he’s turned into a softy. When the swords come out, he’s still the badass barbarian that we all know and love. This issue has some great surprises, as well as a heavy dose of mystery and character development.

Dracula World Order
Written by Ian Brill
Art by Tonci Zonjic, Rahsan Ekedal, Declan Shalvey, Gabriel Hardman
Colors by Stephen Downer, Jordie Bellaire
Letters by Josh Krach
Cover by Declan Shalvey and Jordie Bellaire
Ian Brill (Independent)
Release Date: June 22, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

As a huge vampire geek I notice the undead and bloodthirsty seem to fall into three main categories within pop culture. There is the vamp with lots of deep feelings who sweats being us hard enough to eternally attend high school, or to get a soul so they can date humans, the hyper-sexualized type who makes us feel less dirty since we are merely humans under their superior thrall and therefore cannot be held accountable for our own actions, or the last and rarest variety: the monster in the night who believes the living are a delicious snack food or a means to an end. Dracula World Order strongly subscribes to the latter school of thought and while it expresses lofty ideas about the current state of political/economic affairs, manages to be a bloody good bit of gory fun as well.

By The Canadian Titan

28 Days Later #8
Written by Michael Alan Nelson
Art by Declan Shalvey
BOOM! Studios
Price: $3.99
Released Date: March 17, 2010

If you are a fan of anything zombie related, especially 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later, then look no further than the 28 Days Later comic book series. If you were wondering what happened to those lone survivors between those two movies, then this is your chance to have the story laid out. BOOM! Studios along with writer Michael Alan Nelson (Fall of Cthulhu) takes this into his own hands and gives us a powerful conclusion to the story in these final pages to give us an “on the edge of our seat” read. With the help of Declan Shalvey’s art (Frankenstein – Classical Comics), you are sure to have your mind blown.

No guts, no glory (pardon the pun) are definitely words to live by, but also words to caution. What would you do if you had one machete and a gun with only nine bullets remaining? Selena and Clint find out real quick what they are going to have to do in order to survive the chaos in the world they once knew and do whatever it takes to save their friend Derrick, no matter what the cost.

28 Days Later #7
Written by Michael Alan Nelson
Art by Declan Shalvey
Colors by Nick Filardi
Letters by Ed Dukeshire
BOOM! Studios
Release date: February 24, 2010

28 Days Later is one of the movies responsible for the sudden re-emergence of the horror film, so I’m surprised that that it took BOOM! Studios so long to come out with a comic book series set in post-apocalyptic Britain, where a virus that creates an irrational homicidal rage in those who come into contact with the blood of infected has shattered civilization. In 28 Days Later #7 we find the American Clint, his hired guide Serena, and their injured friend Derrick way-laid by an armed group of fellow survivors. Clint is desperate to find medicine for Derrick but the band, led by a frumpy middle-aged woman named Kate, are too concerned with their own survival to assist strangers. Kate informs them that there is a pharmacy in the village near their encampment, and they can find the medicine they need there. Unfortunately, Kate has ulterior motives for sending them into the village.

Many would be surprised to pick up a copy of 28 Days Later and find that there isn’t a single appearance by the Infected, but that’s one of the strengths of the comic. Writer Michael Alan Nelson chooses to use conflict and tension between the surviving humans as the major story driver, teasing us with the possibility of the Infected. Like a good magician, you never use your best trick right away.