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!