There aren't enough comics out there for kids to read! There are way too many super-hero comics! We want more diverse material featuring other genres! Excuse my exclamation points, but those are just a few examples of complaints from fans about the current state of the comics biz. Sure, the big publishers bring us a lot of great stuff, but many people feel that there is just too much of the same old thing out there.

Unfortunately, when something new and different comes out, especially in the family friendly category, it is all too common for those books to sit unnoticed on the shelf. Maybe it is because people don't immediately recognize the title or maybe they don't want to risk money on an unknown quantity. That is why you should pay attention to this week's Book of the Week, The Stardust Kid.

This new title, published under Image's Desperado imprint, is brought to you by J.M. DeMatteis and Mike Ploog, the creators of the critically acclaimed Abadazad. Both creators are known for quality work, and Stardust Kid certainly lives up to their reputations. DeMatteis's story is both clever and insightful, full of fantastic concepts and believable characters. Ploog's art is lushly detailed, perfect for this story's otherworldly elements.

The first issue introduces reader's to Cody DiMarco, a 12 year old boy with a very unusual best friend. Cody's mother isn't quite sure what it is that bothers her about Paul Brightfield, but she knows she would rather her son didn't spend so much time with him. Cody's former best friend Alana also feels that there is something not quite "right" about Paul. Neither of them has any idea just how odd Paul really is. Not only is Paul not normal, he is not even human. Paul is really a shape-shifting magical entity, one of the last magical beings left on the Earth. He is also at the center of events that may completely destroy the world as Cody knows it...

The Stardust Kid #1 is the start of an epic fantasy adventure, appropriate for younger readers but substantial enough to interest even the most jaded comic book fan. Share it with your kids or treat your own inner child, but try out Stardust Kid now while it is Four Color Fantasies' guaranteed Book of the Week!!! Obey the exclamation points!!