30 Days of Night 15th Anniversary Edition
Written by Steve Niles
Art by Ben Templesmith
Letters by Robbie Robbins
Cover Art by Ben Templesmith
Trade Paperback
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Release Date: March 8, 2017

Fifteen years ago, a new comic book miniseries from IDW Publishing hit the shelves taking us to Barrow, Alaska, North America’s northernmost community, where the temperatures range from “cold as shit to fucking freezing,” and each year, the Sun does not rise for 30 straight days. The series begins on the last day of sunshine before the month of darkness begins, but this time around, vampires have arrived for unhampered access to sustenance of the human variety.

That 3-issue miniseries was 30 Days of Night and it put horror writer Steve Niles and artist Ben Templesmith on the map.

Highlander: The American Dream #1
Written by Brian Ruckley
Art by Andrea Mutti
Colors by Vladimir Popov
Letters by Chris Mowry
Cover by Francesco Francavilla, Claudia Gironi
IDW Publishing
Release Date: February 22, 2017
Cover Price: $3.99

Over thirty years since the release of the original film and the franchise still holds just as much magic for me now as it did then. I speak, of course, of the movie Highlander. With the release of this newest comic Highlander: The American Dream #1, I find myself drawn back into the world of sword swinging immortals and their quest to be the last of their kind. As it is so eloquently put: “There can be only one.”

Locke & Key: Small World Deluxe Hardcover
Written by Joe Hill
Art by Gabriel Rodriguez
Colors by Jay Fotos
Letters by Robbie Robbins
IDW Publishing
Release Date: February 15, 2017
Cover Price: $14.99

Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez are back to give us a short one-shot tale of the creepiest family in comicdom. In the Locke & Key: Small World Deluxe Hardcover we are given not just the twenty-four pages of story but also a lot of background information and setup from the creators. In fact it spans seventy-two pages altogether; that’s a lot of extras!

Jim Thompson’s The Killer Inside Me #1 (of 5)
Print Edition | Kindle Edition
Writer: Devin Faraci
Artist: Vic Malhotra
Colors: Jason Millet
Letters: Christa Miesner
Cover A: Vic Malhotra
Cover B: Robert Hack
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Release date: August 31, 2016
Price: $3.99

When going through this week’s list of comic book releases to choose what I would review, I picked out Jim Thompson’s The Killer Inside Me #1, but I hadn’t in any way connected it to the original novel, since the review file didn’t reference Thompson. I try to read as many comics as humanly possible every week and I liked the title, since it piqued my curiosity. Now, having prefaced with that boring lead in, I will tell you that as soon as I started reading this issue, it all snapped into focus for me. This was adapted from a book I had read over three decades ago and I remember thinking that I enjoyed the introspection so much that it had most likely darkened my very soul.

For you see, this comic book miniseries from IDW Publishing is based on one of the most influential noir books every produced. Set in a small Texas town in 1952, it has all the appeal of rustic Americana but beneath it all is a darkness that weaves through the lives of all its citizens.

Ghostbusters: Deviations (One Shot)
Written by Kelly Thompson
Art by Nelson Daniel
Letters by Neil Uyetake
Covers by Nelson Daniel, Dan Schoening
IDW Publishing
Release Date: March 16, 2016
Cover Price: $4.99

Welcome, one and all, to a story that isn’t quite as you might remember it. This version, aptly titled Ghostbusters: Deviations, is all about what would happen if one key part of the story was changed. This is essentially along the lines of an alternate reality story mashed up with the basic “what if” concept we have seen in the past.

I think the part that stands out the most is that the script changes the story about ten minutes from the end of the first film. The writer chose an important part and changed only one key action. It makes for hilarity in comic form.