Rocketeer Adventures, Vol. 2
Written by Marc Guggenheim, Peter David, Stan Sakai, Tom Taylor, Paul Dini, Walter Simonson, Dave Lapham, Kyle Baker, Matt Wagner, Louise Simonson, David Mandel, John Byrne

Art by Sandy Plunkett, Bill Sienkiewicz, Stan Sakai, Colin Wilson, Bill Morrison, John Paul Leon, Chris Sprouse, Kyle Baker. Eric Canete, Walter Simonson, J. Bone, John Byrne
Inks by Karl Story, Bob Wiacek

Colors by Sandy Plunkett, Bill Sienkiewicz, Dave Stewart, Serban Cristescu, Jordie Bellaire, Eric Canete, Cassandra Poulson, J. Bone

Letters by Robbie Robbins, Bill Sienkiewicz, Stan Sakai, Colin Wilson, Chris Mowry, Shawn Lee. Kyle Baker, John Workman, Neil Uyetake

Cover by Darwyn Cooke
Design by Randall Dahlk
Edited by Scott Dunbier
IDW Publishing
Release Date: January 2013
Hardcover | Kindle

Somewhere, Dave Stevens is reading his copy of The Rocketeer Volume 2 and smiling, as you will be when you pick this book up. To say it brings honor and respect to the late Steven’s work would be an understatement. This is comic storytelling at its finest.

Rocketeer Adventures, Vol. 2 #3
Written by Dave Lapham, Kyle Baker & Matt Wagner
Art by Chris Sprouse, Kyle Baker, Eric Canete & Eric Powell
Inks by Karl Story
Colors by Jordie Bellaire, Eric Canete, Cassandra Poulson & David Stewart
Letters by Shawn Lee & Kyle Baker
Covers by Darwyn Cooke & Dave Stevens
The Rocketeer Created by Dave Stevens
Design by Chris Mowry
IDW Publishing
Release Date: May 30, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

Rocketeer Adventures reminds me why I love comics. And why I’ll always love the traditional comic medium. No, I’m not one of those who hates digital. I have MORE than plenty of digital comics on my computer and 100% of the books that I review are sent to me via computer. But there’s something about holding a comic book in your hands. You get totally lost in the story and in the book itself. Cheers to IDW for putting together another fantastic issue of this series.

The first story in Rocketeer Adventures, Vol. 2 #3 is written by David Lapham with art by Chris Sprouse. It’s a great truth or dare type of story that really speaks to ANYONE reading it. The underlying message in the book is universal and applies to the audience. We can all find a piece of ourselves in this fantastic short story. It reads light, with no heavy moral issue, but when you get to the end, there’s a great “ah-ha” moment that will make you want to read it again. This is, by far, my favorite story in the issue.

House Of Night #5
Story by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
Script by Kent Dalian
Art by Joelle Jones and Eric Canete
Colors by Ryan Hill and Eric Canete
Letters by Nate Piekos of Blambot
Cover by Jenny Frison
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: March 14, 2012
Cover Price: $2.99

This month we get to see Zoey Redbird complete her initiation into the five elements in House Of Night #5. Her lesson for the last element, spirit, is one that holds a lot of meaning for her. Not everyone is able to survive the change from human to vampyre, and it takes four years of training to do so. We learn that the stress on their bodies and minds can take a toll.

Zoey spends this issue coming to terms with a choice she made prior to her training at the House of Night. Having imprinted on someone from her past, it seems only fitting that the story of Hippolyte and Herakles contained the same problem. Learning from the mistakes of vampyres past has aided Zoey several times and this is no exception.

The New Avengers: Luke Cage – Town Without Pity
Trade Paperback
Written by John Arcudi, various
Art by Eric Canete & Pepe Larraz, various
Colors by Chuck Chuckry, Andres Mossa, various
Letters by Joe Sabino, Various
Price: $14.99
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Release date: September 22, 2010

Luke Cage’s most recent solo adventure is the lead story collected in this trade paperback. The cover is a bit misleading because it implies that Ronin (now Hawkeye again) and Spider-Man play a major part in the series. Actually, they mainly appear in the first issue.

The story takes place during the end of the Superhuman Registration Act era in the Marvel Universe. Luke Cage gets a call from his old friend Leodis Dyson. Dyson is beaten and hospitalized by gangsters in North Philadelphia, so Cage travels to Philly to help Dyson out. After he arrives, he encounters a much deeper scandal that involves corrupt politicians, gangs, and the return of a classic Luke Cage villain.