Memorial
Written by Chris Roberson
Art by Rich Ellis
Colors by Grace Allison
Letters by Neil Uyetake, Robbie Robbins, and Shawn Lee
Edits by Mariah Heuhner
Cover by Michael WM Kaluta
Collection Edits by Justin Eisinger & Alonzo Simon
Design by Neil Uyetake & Robbie Robbins
Introduction by Bill Willingham
IDW Publishing
Release Date: September 26, 2012
Cover Price: $24.99

It’s always a safe bet to trust your gut. Way back in February I wrote a lukewarm review of the new Fantasy book from Chris Roberson (Superman, co-publisher of Monkey Brain Comics) Memorial #3. I said, in essence:

What I just read is the middle of a larger story. It was ok, but it’s too early to say if the bigger book will be any good just yet.

I suspected it would deliver, but I’m kind of a coward sometimes. Add to that, for whatever personal reasons Fantasy is not a genre I’m usually drawn to. I have massive respect for your Elf Quests and Conan The Barbarians for their craftsmanship, but for as far back as I can remember it’s never been my bag, y’know?

Kiss #4
Written by Tom Waltz
Art by Casey Maloney
Inks by Marc Rueda
Colors by Joan I. Guardiet & Ester Sans
Letters by Shawn Lee
Edited by Chris Ryall
Covers by Casey Maloney, Michael Gaydos & Xermanico
IDW Publishing
Release Date: September 19, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

KISS #4 features the epic conclusion to the World Without Heroes story arc, and when IDW says epic they mean EPIC!!! It’s everything you want it to be and just a little bit more.

To sum up, in this story arc, we basically have KISS barbarians, which in and of itself, is pretty freakin’ cool. What makes it even MORE awesome is that writer Tom Waltz does a fantastic job telling the story! In just a few issues, he’s given the four “civilian identities” a LOT of character for the reader to absorb. Not too much, though, that it draws awesome from the KISS warriors. We get a little more of the Destroyer and Elder, and more of She, but the meat of the story is KISS’ battle with an out of control dragon and trying to save their village and their world.

Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Vol. 1
Written by James Roberts with John Barber
Art by Nick Roche and Alex Milne
Colors by Josh Burcham
Letters by Shawn Lee
IDW Publishing
Release Date: June 26, 2012
Cover Price: $19.99

Not too long ago, IDW split their Transformers line into two books, Transformers: Robots in Disguise, and Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye. Each book focuses on a different set of Transformers as they set out on different missions to restore Cybertron in the wake of the end of the great war that has defined the bulk of every Transformers story since the very beginning. Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Vol. 1 collects the Death of Optimus Prime special and the first three issues of the MTMTE series. These issues set up the new status quo for the series, and see a crew of mostly lesser known ‘bots as they go on a quest to the stars.

The Cape: 1969 #3
Written by Jason Ciaramella
Art by Nelson Daniel
Lettering by Shawn Lee
Editorial Assist by Christopher Schraff
Edited by Chris Ryall
Creative Consultant Joe Hill
Inspired by the Short Story “The Cape” by Joe Hill
IDW Publishing
Release Date: September 12, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

And so here we are at The Cape: 1969 #3, the power is in Captain Chase’s hands, and with two issues to go, the only question remaining is: how will he use it and how far will he go? For anyone not reading The Cape: 1969, it follows a medevac pilot in Vietnam who just so happens to be the father of Eric and Nicky, the brothers from The Cape. He finds himself in a bad situation, against a sadistic Vietcong troop commander, and then some Weird War Tales stuff happens.

Writer Jason Ciaramella is committed to making this a rather believable war story with superpowers instead of a story about superpowers that just so happen to take place in a historical setting; or at least a good war script with superpowers. Artist Nelson Daniel is a great companion to this project. His drawings aren’t ‘gritty’, but certainly show enough ability to make a war story, and are actually quite refreshing in contrast. Meanwhile, his use of colors remains top notch. His palette of ruddy browns, greens, and oranges complement the dark tone of the story; he also has a special knack for making grotesque violence distinct with blazing reds saturating the backdrops enough to bleed through the page. The use of screen tones is a little obtrusive here, without giving the book the vintage charm I think he’s going for, but it’s not a big deal.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #13
Story by Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz
Script by Tom Waltz
Art by Andy Kuhn
Colors by Ronda Pattison
Letters by Shawn Lee
Covers by Andy Kuhn, Kevin Eastman, and Valerio Schiti
IDW Publishing
Release Date: August 22, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

For those who have been following this latest incarnation of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the series is likely a revelation. When the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles license was sold to Nickelodeon, there was a lot of consternation and wringing of hands among comics fans that the new series would be another cash-in aimed at children. Of course there’s still pleasure in seeing the characters you have grown with once again, but writers Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz have created something much closer to the original version, with enough tweaks that the series feels fresh and exciting enough to surprise you.

A lot of this work shows up in the turtles themselves. Their quirks — Donatello as the science geek, Leonardo the rigid leader, Raphael the hothead, Michelangelo the carefree bro — aren’t played up as such, but actually inform how each sees the world. They bicker and argue, not just for the sake of it, but because they disagree over how to handle a situation. Never before have they felt so distinct from each other and so fully realized as characters. When, for example, the turtles are presented with their own uniquely-colored masks, there’s a satisfying justification for it that helps build the themes of the story, and the differentiation feels earned. Elements like these are what makes the series fresh and familiar, and is the difference between reinterpretation and cash-in. Alright, sorry for gushing, now let’s get on to issue 13.