Cyborg 009
Hardcover
Written by F.J. Desanto and Bradley Camp
Illustrated by Marcus To
Colored by Ian Herring
Lettered by Deron Bennett
Designed by Jon Adams
Edited by Stephen Christy
Created by Shotaro Ishinomori
Archaia Entertainment
Release Date: September 24, 2013
Cover Price: $24.95

Archaia Entertainment has updated Shotaro Ishinomori‘s manga about a multicultural group of cyborg outcasts, Cyborg 009. A young man known only as Cyborg 009 wakes up in a top-secret research facility. He has no memory of his previous life. He is immediately told to destroy his predecessors Cyborgs 001-008.

Eventually, the cyborgs escape along with Dr. Gilmore, one of the more sympathetic scientists involved in the cyborg soldier project. Cyborg 009 learns about his origin and the origins of the other 8 cyborgs. Most of them were randomly kidnapped and they have very diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds. He has a bit of a rival in the group in the New-York born Jet Link, and a potential love interest in the French-born Francoise Arnoul. Cyborg 009 has to deal with an emotional tug-of-war between a longing for his old life, and the pressing need to unite with his cyborg brethren against Sekar, the villainous leader of the group that turned them all into cyborgs.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Micro Series “” Krang #1
Script by Joshua Williamson
Art by Mike Henderson
Colors by Ian Herring
Letters by Shawn Lee
Edited by Bobby Curnow
Covers by Kevin Eastman, Mike Henderson & Tyler Walpole
IDW Publishing
Release Date: April 17, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Micro Series “” Krang #1 is, simply put, a delight. It’s about 50% kick-ass action tale and 50% the fun Ninja Turtle type comic that you love. Put that all together and it’s 100% good!

I really didn’t need a Krang origin, but Joshua Williamson convinced me otherwise. I can’t believe I just read a comic about a living brain who goes Rambo in order to prove himself to his father, but I did. And I really enjoyed it. Williamson writes an interesting story about focusing on Krangs younger years and his quest to earn the respect of not only his father, but his fellow…brains, I guess. It’s a lot of fun, surprisingly intense in places, but it’s all around awesome. There’s great elements of fun, surprise and we get an honest to God resolution for the story. The only downside? No Ninja Turtles.

Kill Shakespeare, Vol. 2: The Blast Of War
Created and Written by Conor McCreery, Anthony Del Col
Art by Andy Belanger
Colors by Ian Herring
Lettering by Chris Mowry, Neil Uyetake, and Shawn Lee
Collection Cover by Kagan McLeod
Collection Design by Chris Mowry
IDW Publishing
Release Date: November 9, 2011
Cover Price: $19.99

Imagine if you will, all of Shakespeare’s creations brought to life and populating one world, interacting with one another and thinking of him as their (rightfully so) creator. That’s exactly what Conor McCreery and Anthony Del Col did in their graphic novel Kill Shakespeare, Vol. 2: The Blast Of War. It had been quite some time since I read the first volume, but I caught back up pretty quickly.