American Gods: Shadows #1
Story and Words by Neil Gaiman
Script and Layout by P. Craig Russell
Art by Scott Hampton
Colors by Scott Hampton
Letters by Rick Parker
Covers by Glenn Fabry with Adam Brown, Scott Hampton, Dave McKean, David Mack, Becky Cloonan, Fabio Moon
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: March 15, 2017
Cover Price: $3.99

Neil Gaiman‘s award-winning, best-selling all-around amazing novel American Gods is soon to be a television series on Starz, but first, Dark Horse Comics has launched an ongoing comic book adaptation with American Gods: Shadows #1.

In this first issue, we’re introduced to Shadow Moon, who’s nearing the end of his 3-year prison sentence. He wants nothing more than to just go home and finally be reunited with his wife, Laura — well, that and to take a bubble bath. But one thing is clear, he’s going to stay out of trouble from now on and work on rebuilding his life. Unfortunately, days before his scheduled release, he learns the devastating news that Laura has died, leaving him lost with no sense of what the future holds for him.

The Chronicles of Conan, Vol. 24
Blood Dawn and Other Stories
Trade Paperback | Kindle Edition
Written by James Owsley & Don Kraar
Pencils by John Buscema, Ernie Chan & Mike Docherty
Inks by Ernie Chan & Dave Simons
Coloring by George Roussos, Julianna Ferriter & Ken Feduniewicz
Lettering by Janice Chiang, Rick Parker, Diana Albers & Bill Pearson
Cover art by John Buscema with George Roussos
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: July 16, 2013
Cover Price: $18.99

The Chronicles of Conan, Vol. 24 continues Dark Horse Comics’ excellent reprint series of the Marvel Comics’ Conan the Barbarian series. If you’re into Conan or the sword and sorcery genre at all, this is a must have for your collection!

Authors James Owsley and Don Kraar turn in some great Conan stories here. First and foremost is the great “Bride of the Occultist” by Owsley, a particularly fun/creepy Conan story. From there the book reprints other great issues of Conan from the mid ’80s like “Blood Dawn,” “The Crimson Brotherhood,” and “Rites of Inquisition,” just to name a few. For those of you that only know Conan through the Dark Horse series, you’re in for a real treat. These stories weren’t as tightly managed by the licensor and therefore, there’s a lot more room that they have to play around. Not having to stick to a particular timeline for Conan’s life offers up a LOT more freedom to do as they please, and it certainly shows.

G.I. Joe: Roots of Retaliation Trade Paperback
Written by Larry Hama
Pencils by Larry Hama, Mike Vosburg, John D’Agostino, Frank Springer & Marshall Rogers
Inks by Randy Emberlin, Andy Mushynsky & Steve Leialoha
Colors by George Roussos & Bob Sharen
Letters by Rick Parker
Original Edits by Denny O’Neill & Bobby Chase
Collection Edits by Justin Eisinger & Alonzo Simon
Collection Design by Chris Mowry
Cover by Jonboy Meyers
Cover Colors by Anthony Washington
IDW Publishing
Release Date: June 27, 2012
Cover Price: $14.99

Collected in this trade paperback, G.I. Joe: Roots of Retaliation, are 5 different stories all dealing with characters that are (I’m guessing here) featured heavily in the upcoming movie. Yes, we all know that G.I. Joe: Retaliation has been pushed back until Spring of next year, but know that you have all that extra time, it’s a great oppertunity to take a look back at these classic G.I. Joe issues and find out just how these characters made their debut back in the day.

This collection runs the gambit of classic G.I. Joe stories, all from the classic Marvel Comics run written by Larry Hama. It’s a great blast from the past, as we get a look back at the introduction of the Red Ninjas, Roadblock, Duke, Flint, Lady Jaye, and the original Joe, Joe Colton. Over the years, these characters have changed quite a bit, and that doesn’t even include all the different incarnations of the characters like in the cartoons, other comic series, action figure bios.