The Michael Moorcock Library: Erekose – The Swords of Heaven, The Flowers of Hell
Character created by Michael Moorcock
Script and art by Howard V. Chaykin
Titan Comics
Release Date: May 15, 2018
Cover Price: $19.99

Anyone that knows me knows that I have been a fan of The Eternal Champion series/saga/lifestyle for decades. Michael Moorcock created what I consider to be the greatest incarnation of a hero ever. And I know I am not alone as there are adaptations and re-issuings year after year, decade after decade.

So it brings me no end of pleasure to introduce you to The Michael Moorcock Library: Erekose – The Swords Of Heaven, The Flowers Of Hell.

Sleigh bells ring are you listening? In the lane, something’s glistening, a beautiful sight, we’re happy tonight, because we’ve got some comic book gift suggestions! That’s right guys and geeks, “The Hench” and “The Fac3” have reunited (and it feels so good!) for the sole purpose of giving all of your crazed souls a nice long list of comic books for everyone on your holiday gift list. This one’s going to be hefty, so make sure to pull out that list of folks you’re giving gifts to this holiday season, compare it with our list of all of this year’s top releases, and give Santa a head’s up on what everyone should be getting. Speaking of “should be getting,” should we be getting this list started? Yes. Yes, we should. Also, speaking for “The Face,” I’m pretty sure you could also get these for us. I’m just saying…

After a three-year absence from the comic book racks, the original space hero Buck Rogers returns later this year thanks to Hermes Press and legendary comic talent Howard Chaykin. Last seen in 2010 and published by Dynamite Entertainment, their Buck Rogers series lasted thirteen issues beginning with a #0 issue and going through issue #12. But, this August, Hermes Press brings us a brand new four-issue series, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, that returns Buck Rogers to his roots and promises to be quite a thrill ride.

The Shadow: Year One #1
Written by Matt Wagner
Art by Wilfredo Torres
Colors by Brennan Wagner
Letters by Simon Bowland
Covers by Matt Wagner, Alex Ross, Chris Samnee & Howard Chaykin
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: February 20, 2013
Cover Price: $3.99

The Shadow Year One #1 is the first part of the untold origin of The Shadow. Kind of. What I was expecting and what this book delivered are two VERY different things.

Author Matt Wagner is legendary in the comic book business, and rightfully so. His list of credentials are WAY too long for me to list here, and let’s face it, you know who he is. Thankfully, he’s his awesome self writing this book. When I first hear about this series, I pictured something much different. I was looking for a great story about how LaMont Cranston BECAME The Shadow: his training, his reasons for doing so, etc., sort of like a Batman Begins type story for this character. Instead, what we have is a Batman Year One type story. Cranston returns home from abroad to New York, and that’s where the book starts. It’s about him becoming the masked vigilante hero that we all know and love.

Red Team #1
Written by Garth Ennis
Pencils by Craig Cemak
Colors by Adriano Lucas
Letters by Rob Steen
Covers by Ryan Sook, Howard Chaykin, & Russ Braun
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: February 6, 2013
Cover Price: $3.99

Dynamite Comics’ new series, Red Team, is a classic “dirty cop” mini-series that focuses on a team of elite detectives. The Red Team was formed to deal with the worst of the worst criminals. Which eventually brings them to Clinton Days, a drug dealing, pimping, child pornograph-ing murderer. Days eluded and frustrated the team for almost two years with a mix of clean crimes and fancy lawyering. He finally pushes them too far by killing a cop. The group decides the only way to get Days off the streets is with some vigilante justice.

Writer Garth Ennis takes the Red Team down a slippery-slope storyline. The concept is a proven winner spawning well-regarded and highly rewatchable television series such as The Shield and movies like Training Day. Cops are bound by the law to bring criminals to justice, not justice to the criminals. But once this group crosses that line, they realize that they are phenomenally good at it and it won’t be the last time they murder somebody. However, we already know that the team screws up somewhere along the line: the core of the story occurs in an interrogation room.