That Bulletproof Kid #1
Created and Written by Matt Kyme
Art by Arthur Strickland
Letters by Brendan Halyday
Release Date: April 2014
Cover Price: $5.00 ($1.00 Digital)

Life as a teenager is rough, being no longer a child and not quite an adult. And like many of us did, sometimes you just want the power to be something or someone else. That’s pretty much what That Bulletproof Kid #1 is all about: finding your place in the world as it is rather than as you would have it be. Of course it’s hard to fight crime and still get your homework done on time; that’s the point of being a superhero, right?

Anthony Fischer is a typical guy trying to make his way through school (whilst wearing a Black Flag shirt). Trying to explain to friends where he’s been and why he’s been out of touch is difficult; mostly because fighting crime isn’t something you broadcast. Having to contend with bad attitudes and bullies is just another facet of his life. He even catches a bit of grief from Crusader, the hero to whom he is a sidekick, for being late. Going out on a quick mission, things seem typical at first but quickly turn dangerous. When their companion Wormhole disappears, Crusader and Anthony find themselves facing the villainess Monochrome.

Black/White
Written by Andrez Bergen
Illustrated by Drezz Rodriguez, Michael Grills, Nathan St. John, Andrew Chiu, Marcos Vergara, and Andrez Bergen
Cover by Matt Kyme
If? Commix
Release Date: March 2014
Cover Price: $1.00

A comic formed entirely of short stories can be hard to pull off. It would take a highly talented creative team to make it work. Black/White, thankfully, is one such anthology. Written solely by the prolific Andrez Bergen and featuring a new illustrator for each short, this is one compilation worth checking out. Read on to discover some of my particular favorites from this noir crime and dystopian/post-apocalyptic collection.

“Zig Zag” drops the reader right into the middle of a gun cleaner’s mind as he methodically takes care of an antique, precious piece to hand over to a special client. The vivid and descriptive narration combined with the solid whites on solid blacks that artist Drezz Rodriguez sets to “action to action” panel transitioning, makes for a movie-esque read.

Tales To Admonish #1 & #2
Written by Andrez Bergen
Art by Matt Kyme
if? Conmmix
Release Date: Currently available
Cover Price: $5.00 (Print) $1.00 (Digital)

When I chose Tales To Admonish for review, it was mainly the catchy title that drew me in. I know that’s a horrible reason but I was hoping it was related in some way to Tales To Astonish which I loved years ago. Turns out that the creators of this comic came up with the idea the day after Jack Kirby’s ninety-sixth birthday. And it’s not so much an homage as it is tongue-in-cheek. Each issue has three short comics, each with vastly different stories to tell. But one thing is for sure, you won’t soon forget these tales.

The debut issue, Tales To Admonish #1, starts off with two guys trying to rob a comic store, in broad daylight. But the funny thing about “Sugar/Spice/Dice” is that that’s not even the dumbest thing they do. I will admit to not getting some of the Down Under slang being used in the story, but I got the gist of it at least.