Freelancers #1
Written by Ian Brill & Matt Gagnon
Art by Joshua Covey & Felipe Smith
Colors by Justin Stewart, Vladimir Popov & Zack Sterling
Letters by Pat Brosseau
Covers by Ibraim Roberson, Felipe Smith, Khary Randolf & Ron Riley, Fan Yang, Phil Noto, Stephane Roux, Reilly Brown & Felipe Sobreiro
Boom! Studios
Release Date: November 7, 2012
Cover Price: $1.00

Freelancers #1 is a lot of fun. It’s not going to change your life or win an Eisner, but you will definitely have a good time with this comic. You’ve got the perfect formula-hot girls, guns, cars, kung-fu, and dogs. What more could any red-blooded American male want?

Ian Brill takes parts of existing pop culture icons and combines them into an action packed comic, that’s a TON of fun to read. Part Charlie’s Angels, part Codename: Knockout, this comic is action from start to finish. You’ve got the two main characters that work for an agent that may or may not be 100% on their side. Brill sets up a good mystery that leaves you wondering if their agent is trying to get them jobs or trying to get them killed. I can’t emphasise enough how much pure fun this book is! It’s a great spy/bounty hunter tale that never takes itself seriously at all. It knows what it is, and never tries to be anything different. Really good for a first issue.

Garfield #2
Written by Mark Evanier
Art by Gary Barker & Dan Davis
Colors by Lisa Moore
Letters by Steve Wands
Garfield created by Jim Davis
Covers by Gary Barker & Jim Davis
Kaboom!
Release Date: June 6, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

When reading Garfield #2, it’s obvious that this isn’t just another younger readers book. Sure, it’ll appeal to kids, but I got just as much enjoyment out of it as anyone else would.

First off, Mark Evanier wrote for the Garfield Saturday morning cartoons in the ’80s. So, it’s clear to see that he has a fondness for the character and that he KNOWS how to write Garfield, as well as the rest of the cast. Let’s be honest, Garfield is a 3-panel comic strip (more on Sundays) and all that anyone remembers about him is that he loves lasagna, hates Mondays, and is lazy. In this comic, Evanier actually gives him some CHARACTER that totally fits in with everything we’ve ever known about him in the past, and yet, makes him a character that we’re just getting to know. As far as the actual stories go in this issue, it’s classic Garfield and some very fun stuff.

Supurbia #1
Created and Written by Grace Randolph
Art by Russell Dauterman
Colors by Gabriel Cassata
Letters by Steve Wands
Cover by Ale Garza
Cover Colors by Nei Ruffino
Boom! Studios
Release Date: March 7, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

The Real Housewives for superhero spouses? Ugh, what a revolting concept! How stupid. How insulting. How the hell did they make this work?!

Appropriately enough, as I was reading this book my girlfriend was watching a Real Housewives show. I hate Real Housewives. I really, really do. I hate the way the shows are shot, I hate how shrill the characters come off, and I really hate how petty and materialistic all their problems are. I asked her during the commercial what the program’s appeal was for her. Buried beneath all those problems, she said, there’s the story about the complex and competitive friendships women have with each other.

When you put the show that way it starts to sound interesting. Throw in some guys with capes, trade the reality TV format for a comic, and I’m there.