A Godly Find: Ares #1

War! Good God! What is it good for? Well, for one thing, it is very useful when it comes to crushing your enemies, driving them before you, and hearing the lamentations of their women. If you're into that sort of thing. When the gods of Olympus needed some serious crushing and driving done, Ares, the God of War, was their go-to guy.

Unfortunately for Ares, ruthlessly and mercilessly slaughtering people by the thousands doesn't really make you a popular party guest. In fact, Zeus and his fellow Olympians don't do much to hide their distaste and outright disgust for Ares. Even when he saves their bacon from the marauding hordes of Hades, the gods want nothing to do with him.

What does an unloved god of war do? In Ares #1, he packs his bags and tells the gods to kiss his mighty butt, that's what! Ares leaves Olympus and his fellow gods, gives up his violent ways, and tries to live as a mortal with the rest of us here on Earth. He works construction jobs, raises a son, and even attends parent/teacher meetings. Despite being substantially more enormous than most folks, he manages to blend in pretty well. Everything seems to be going pretty smoothly until Hermes shows up to recruit the unwilling ex-god for another war....

Ares #1 is written by Mike Oeming. He is the multi-talented guy who draws Powers for Brian Bendis, while writing Red Sonja, Thor, and now Ares. Oeming has already proven to have a great handle on the whole fantasy/mythology genre, and his work on this series more than lives up to that reputation. Not every writer can effectively put words into the mouths of gods, but Oeming gives these characters the power and dignity they deserve. The art by Travel Foreman effectively conveys both the nobility of Ares, and the dangerous edges of his violent nature.

Try out Ares #1 while it is Four Color Fantasies' guaranteed Book of the Week! It's not like you have to climb Mount Olympus or risk the depths of Hades. Find out just what War is good for, read Ares #1 today!

X-Statix Presents: Deadgirl #1

It ain't easy being Strange! Doctor Stephen Strange, that is. Doc has a lot of responsibility, what with being the Sorcerer Supreme and all. I mean, he has to protect a whole plane of existence all by himself! Sure, he's got Wong hanging around, but Wong really just does the laundry and keeps the good Doctor fed. And what does a manly guy like Strange eat to give him the strength to shoulder his awesome duties? Apparently, green tea and dry cookies. EXTRA-dry cookies. Yum!

In X-Statix Presents: Deadgirl #1, Doctor Strange finds himself in a bit of a rut. He is pretty depressed about the lonely life he lives and the burdens he has to bear. His hemorrhoids are acting up, he has suddenly realised that he uses the word "suffice" far too much, and he is living on a diet of dry cookies. So, when he first notices that something funny is going on in the depths of Hell, his reaction is a resounding "whatever."

Of course, ignoring funny business in Hell is usually not a good idea. Strange soon finds himself entering into negotiations with a bunch of dead super-villains, along with a dead hero or two, who have decided that being dead pretty much stinks. They manage to get themselves a day pass back to the land of the living where they can enjoy some ribs, and maybe chase a man down and watch him choke to death on his own vomit. Ah, the fun villains have.

Admittedly, Deadgirl #1 doesn't actually have much to do with Deadgirl, but she seems to be on the way next issue. She's busy hanging in the afterlife with Gwen Stacy and Mockingbird. This limited series, by Peter Milligan, Nick Dragotta and Mike Allred, clearly has it's tongue firmly in cheek. It offers a great perspective on what it means to be a villain in the Marvel Universe (Lots of painful beatings!), and shows that even someone as cool as Doctor Strange gets depressed about life sometimes.

If these dead folks can drag themselves up from the depths of Hell for this story, the least you can do is drag yourself over to Four Color Fantasies to buy this guaranteed Book of the Week. Why not go nuts and spoil yourself with some extra-weak tea, some really dry cookies and a fun new comic to read? A little indulgence can be a good thing!

No Bugs in this Work: The Exterminators #1

If there is one thing about Mother Nature that most people can't stand, it's all the creepy crawlies. Mice, rats, worms, slugs, bugs and, worst of all, roaches. Nobody likes roaches, especially those big hissing cockroaches that science teachers use to traumatize kids. Ick. What do you do when faced with the creepiest critters nature has to offer? Call the Exterminators, of course.

The Exterminators #1 is the start of a new monthly series from DC's Vertigo imprint. Vertigo is a "mature readers" line of books, and this comic is definitely NOT for the young or faint of heart. Henry James, the ex-con star of our story, not the dead literary giant, is fresh out of the pen and in need of a job. Lucky for Henry, his mom recently married the owner of the "Bug-Bee-Gone" extermination company. Not so lucky for Henry, he finds himself training with a loathsome creep named AJ.

The rat-like AJ is an awful human being, but he is a pretty darn good exterminator. He also has some strangely overblown ideas about the primal struggle between man and beast that is exterminating. AJ may seem a little, or more than a little, crazy, but the rest of the crew at Bug-Bee-Gone aren't exactly the most normal people either. Despite having some serious issues of his own, Henry is clearly the least messed up guy in the Bug Bin.

The story by Simon Oliver is well-written and clearly going somewhere. There may be a roach revolution on the horizon, and if Henry, AJ, and Bug-Bee-Gone are our only defense, the human race is in big trouble. The art by Tony Moore (Walking Dead and Fear Agent) is excellent. He truly brings out the repellent nature of both vermin and exterminators. The gruesome details are, well, really gruesome. You won't soon forget how Henry deals with a rabid raccoon....

So get out a can of roach spray and head over to Four Color Fantasies to try out our guaranteed Book of the Week, The Exterminators #1. Just don't stop to pet that raccoon with the nice, foamy milk moustache. You'll be really sorry if you do.

Noir Heaven: Fallen Angel #1

"AAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
aaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAHHHHHHHHHHHHH! SPLAT!" What's that sound? Why, it's the sound a Fallen Angel makes, of course! Wait, wait! Don't stop reading. I know that was silly and inappropriate on so many levels! If you stick around and read about this week's Book of the Week, I promise it won't happen again. Sorry.

In today's comics market, publishing a creator-owned character can be a tricky business. Even a well-known and respected writer like Peter David has no guarantees when it comes to finding an audience. Fallen Angel was first published by DC Comics. The book was highly regarded and critically praised, but just couldn't find a big enough readership to meet DC's expectations. Lucky for us, a book this good couldn't be allowed to just fade away. Thanks to IDW Publishing, readers have a chance to find Fallen Angel all over again, in the all-new Fallen Angel #1.

Fallen Angel is a "film noir" story that takes place, appropriately enough, in the mysterious city of Bete Noire. Our hero, Lee, lives a double life there as a middle-aged girls phys. ed. instructor and as the seemingly youthful Miss Angel. Miss Angel is an incredibly powerful being. Her role in Bete Noire is not so much as a protector of the city, but as someone who stands between the city and its victims. The first issue of the series picks up at what seems to be a turning point for Bete Noire. Power is changing hands, and the city seems poised to plunge into chaos. Will Miss Angel prevent the plunge, or give the city a kick over the edge?

As always, Peter David's writing is both thoughtful and clever. Even if you missed Fallen Angel the first time around, this issue totally stands on its own. New readers quickly discover everything they need to know about Bete Noire to enjoy the story and to be caught up in the mysteries surrounding Lee. David's story is accompanied by gorgeous painted artwork from J.K. Woodward that is lush, dark, and pretty to look at. You'll have to read this book a second time, just to gaze into the panels and catch all the detail you missed the first time through.

Polish off your halo and walk, fly, or plummet to Four Color Fantasies now to try out our guaranteed Book of the Week, Fallen Angel #1! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh....oh, sorry. I promised not to do that again, didn't I? Never mind. Just read the book!