Ash and the Army of Darkness #3
Written by Steve Niles
Art by Dennis Calero
Covers by Arthur Suydam
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: January 8, 2014
Cover Price: $3.99

Ash didn’t get to spend much time back at S-Mart before the deadites returned and pulled him once again back to 1300s, where they have been growing in power since he left. Lead by the Wiseman, who read from the Book of the Dead and had his soul consumed, the deadites have plans to conquer the entire land.

Now reunited with his medieval love, Sheila, as well as his boomstick and chainsaw, Ash is getting back into the swing of things and learning just what has happened since he left the land. Sheila and Ash, along with a company of men who worship the strange one, must retrieve the Book of the Dead if they are to stop this evil, but no sooner do they begin their journey then they come across a familiar face – Henry the Red!

If you are saddened and confused about the consistent back and forth rumors that a second Army of Darkness movie will or won’t be made, than this ongoing series is just the cure for your woes. Picking up right where the theatrical cut of the movie ended, Ash and the Army of Darkness continues the tale of Ash and endless fight against the deadites.

Masks #2
Written by Chris Roberson
Art by Dennis Calero
Letters by Simon Bowland
Art direction by Alex Ross
Covers by Alex Ross, Howard Chaykin, Jae Lee, Adrian Syaf
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: December 19, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

Masks #2 is pulp heroes at its best. I only wish DC Comic would’ve handled their pulp line as well as Dynamite does here. They’ve created a shared universe for all their characters that makes sense, is fun, and turns out to be one heck of a good time.

Writer Chris Roberson really goes a fantastic job in this issue. The previous issue introduced the villains and heroes, this is issue is where the team starts to take shape and head into action. A lot of company crossovers seem forced, going to great lengths to bring the heroes together, but here, it’s done in such a natural way, you never even think twice about the believability of the story. Roberson also introduces new characters in this issue and furthers the actions of the villains, forcing the team to get organized and ready to go. This is a REALLY well-written issue, and, so far, the comic reads a lot better in monthlies than it will in trade. Every issue so far has ended on a cliffhanger and when you’re reading a trade, all you do is turn the page, but it really helps that you get a month break to absorb the story and speculate at what might be coming next month.

The Lone Ranger: Snake of Iron #1
Written by Chuck Dixon
Art by Esteve Polls
Colors by Marcelo Pinto
Letters by Simon Bowland
Cover by Dennis Calero
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: July 11, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

As if the regular title wasn’t enough, Dynamite this month gives us The Lone Ranger: Snake of Iron #1, the start of a miniseries that is a fantastic Lone Ranger adventure that spans the almost the whole country and is full of mystery, action, and good old fashioned good guys vs bad guys. Sort of.

Acclaimed writer Chuck Dixon takes on The Lone Ranger!!! This is an excellent first issue. It really reminds me of a classic episode of the TV series, but with a wider scope to it. For one, The Lone Ranger and Tonto are separated, and we follow each character on their adventures, which are VERY different from each other. While Tonto is stuck in a more “civilized” environment than he’s used to, the Ranger is set off tracking the mythical “Spirit Horse” that has the Kaigwa Indian tribe VERY upset. While on his mission, the Ranger runs across a very cute, comic foil for him and he’s forced to try and keep an eye on her while trying to keep peace with the Indian tribe. Tonto, unknown to him, is about to set off on the same mission, but he’s halfway across the country.

Netherworld
Written by Bryan Edward Hill and Rob Levin
Line Art by Tony Shasteen with Dennis Calero
Colors by Dave McCaig with Lee Loughridge
Letters by Troy Peteri
Image Comics | Top Cow
Release Date: May 23, 2012
Cover Price: $19.99

Crime noir comics are not usually my cup of Joe. It takes a unique twist on the hardboiled genre to capture my ridiculously short attention span. Image Comics/Top Cow’s Netherworld accomplishes just that, adding a supernatural flair to the typical dirty cop storyline. You’ll ponder this deceptively deep storyline well after its exciting conclusion.

Ray Parker is a former cop scratching out an existence as a bounty hunter. Two separate clients hit him up with jobs concerning the same person: a young woman named Madeline. Alexis wants Ray to find Madeline at a specified location and bring her to a second location. On the other hand, Cyrus Kane has less information and wants Ray to simply find Madeline’s whereabouts. Ray must use all of his instincts to decide on which path to take. Finding Madeline begins a violent, action-packed tale of discovery as Ray peels away the layers of his city and his role within it.

Witchblade #151
Story by Tim Seeley
Art by Diego Bernard
Covers by John Tyler Christopher, Dennis Calero
Top Cow
Release Date: January 4, 2011
Cover Price: $2.99

It’s been awhile since I’ve read the title, but with Witchblade #151 being the start of a brand new creative team, I thought I’d check it out and give it a try. I was very pleasantly surprised.

It seems that writer Tim Seeley has breathed new life into this book. It’s no longer the hot girl with mystical weapon fighting monsters book, now it’s the hot girl private eye with mystical weapon fighting monsters and solving cases book. And it makes a big difference. It’s nice to have the heroine be proactive instead of reactive for a change. As a covert “first issue” this book did exactly what it should have done — got me interested in the story and characters and hooked me enough for me to want to buy the next issue.