Criminal Macabre: Die, Die My Darling
Story by Steve Niles
Art by Christopher Mitten
Colors by Michelle Madsen
Letters by Nate Piekos of Blambot
Cover by Fiona Staples
Designed by David Nestelle
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: April 04, 2012
Cover Price: $3.50

Criminal Macabre: Die, Die, My Darling finds its anti-hero, Cal McDonald, adjusting to life after life. To being undead in other words. How is he taking the transition? He’s disgruntled, sure, but whatever, he seems to be disgruntled about a lot of other things, too.

Since 1990 writer Steve Niles, who you should know from the 30 Days of Night books/film (and if you don’t that’s your loss) has been doing his own take on the Paranormal Sleuth sub-genre in both comics and prose. Specifically, by Sleuth I mean the hard living, solving-crime-in-a-drunken-have type, and by Paranormal I’m talking about a casual slathering of vampires and werewolves. You like John Constantine? Give this a try.

Monstermen and Other Scary Stories
Written and Illustrated by Gary Gianni
Additional Stories by William Hope Hodgeson, Clark Ashton Smith, Robert E. Howard and Perceval Landon
Letters by Sean Konot, Todd Klein, and Clem Robins
Introduction by Michael Chabon
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: March 7, 2012
Cover Price: $24.99

At one point early on in Gary Gianni’s Monstermen and Other Scary Stories a main character gets a curse that leaves a disturbing mark on his head. It has to be seen to be fully understood because I can only describe it as a Stegosaurus Mohawk… and it’s maybe one of the single coolest things I’ve ever seen in a comic. A few pages later it’s gone, like a ghastly sight in a haunted house, never to be seen again.

Monstermen and Other Scary Stories was originally published as back ups in Hellboy beginning in the mid-90s, though Giannis’ work seems to be about as much Edward Gorey as Mike Mignola. Many avid comic book readers will be familiar with his work, which began first on Classics Illustrated adaptations, most famously on 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. He then won an Eisner for Best Short Story for the Heroes contribution in Batman: Black and White before settling into his current gig doing Prince Valiant. Monstermen stands out in his body of work as being his most original and innovative title.

By QuestKid32

Ragemoor #1 (of 4)
Story by Jan Strnad
Art by Richard Corben
Letters by Nate Piekos
Design by Tina Alessi
Release date: March 14, 2012
Cover Price: $3.50

Ladies and Gentlemen, this is a horror comic! I have long been searching for a horror comic that not only delivers a few good chills, but also maintains a fun, yet serious tone, and I have finally found it in Ragemoor!

Ragemoor #1 tells the story of a castle built 3,000 years before Christ, on the blood, sweat, and tears of Pagans, and the family, or rather, remaining member of the family, who resides in it. But when a distant Uncle comes to claim the castle for his own with dubious intent, we quickly learn that the castle has a mind of its own!

B.P.R.D.: Being Human TPB
Written by Mike Mignola, Scott Allie, John Arcudi
Art by Karl Moline, Richard Corben, Ben Stenbeck, Guy Davis, Andy Owens, Jo Chen
Colors by Dave Stewart
Letters by Clem Robins
Cover by Mike Mignola
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: November 30, 2011
Cover Price: $17.99

Mike Mignola and John Arcudi have crafted the Hellboy and B.P.R.D. universe in a way that is continually referencing the past. In a world in which the dead rarely stay dead and old enemies rise to cause havoc again, it is important to know the history of most B.P.R.D. books. In B.P.R.D.: Being Human Mignola and Arcudi tackle the often brought up but seldom detailed pasts of B.P.R.D. agents Abe Sapien, Roger, Liz, and Johann. In this collection of backstories we are introduced to the dark and often devastating pasts of each character as they go on their first field mission or struggle with life as a B.P.R.D. field agent. Some stories are stronger then others in this trade paperback, but the introduction of each character’s past is all wonderfully developed and a must-read for any B.P.R.D. fan.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Trade Paperback
Season Eight, Volume 8: Last Gleaming
Written by Joss Whedon, Jane Espenson, Scott Allie
Art by Georges Jeanty, Karl Moline
Dark Horse Comics
Release date: June 1, 2011

The end is near! In Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight Vol. 8: Last Gleaming, Buffy, her army of vampire slayers, and the original Scooby gang face the biggest challenge of their lives. With an onslaught of demons coming to destroy the world, Buffy and her team must defeat the demonic threat while also facing the biggest betrayal in Buffy’s history as a vampire slayer.

I’ve been a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer throughout its entire 7-season television run. When creator Joss Whedon decided to continue the series in the comic book medium, I was really excited. I read most of the season 8 run, but felt that it was stretched out a bit too long. When Whedon said that Season 8 was ending with Issue #40, I wanted to see how it was going to end. I’m glad that I caught up with Season 8, because this volume is a nice wrap up that leaves a huge plot to be fleshed out in the upcoming Season 9 series.