An Intriguing Chess Game: Civil War: War Crimes

You don't get to be the Kingpin of Crime in the Marvel Universe without some serious smarts. The only way Wilson Fisk has managed to stay at the top of the heap for so long is by staying several moves ahead of the heroes and villains who would love to take him down. Some folks may have the idea that Fisk is just a big, fat, thug, but those who make that mistake usually end up six feet under.

For any ordinary criminal, getting locked up would put a serious crimp in their plans, but not Wilson Fisk. Despite the fact that he is doing time at Riker's Island, Fisk is still clearly the Kingpin. He sits at the head of the mess hall, has a legion of bodyguards and enforcers (including THE Enforcers) and is approached by appointment only. Of course, Wilson's power does NOT stop at the prison's gates, as both Hammerhead and Iron Man will soon learn...

In Civil War: War Crimes, by Frank Tieri and Staz Johnson, Fisk and Tony "Iron Man" Stark play a literal, and figurative, chess game. The Kingpin has information about Captain America's resistance movement that Tony would love to get his hands on. Stark knows that such information isn't going to come without a price, but is it a price he is prepared to pay? Of course, Iron Man is no dummy either, so both players think they are winning this game. Who is making the smarter moves? And who is sacrificing one piece too many?

If you have been following Marvel's Civil War blockbuster, this one-shot is essential reading. Readers will discover what's been going on behind the scenes, and may be shocked to find out just who is making deals with the devil to win this war. If you haven't been reading Civil War, this is still a great self-contained story that explores the character of both Wilson Fisk and Tony Stark.

Don't be a mere pawn in the game. Make your move, and head to Four Color Fantasies to try out this 100% guaranteed Book of the Week! With a little help from Wilson Fisk, you could become a Kingpin too!

Worth joining him: Lone Ranger #3

For a long time, the once-popular western genre had all but vanished from the comic racks. Luckily for all fans of gruff, stubbly, men on horseback, comic book westerns have made quite a comeback. Marvel's westerns and DC's Jonah Hex and Loveless have all been great, but now Dynamite Entertainment has brought back the most well-known cowboy of them all: The Lone Ranger.

The Lone Ranger has appeared in just about every entertainment medium there is. He's been on radio and TV, in movies, books, viewmaster reels, and, naturally, comics. Dynamite has published some really great comics based on licensed properties like Red Sonja, Battlestar Galactica, Army of Darkness, and many others. They have already proven that they know how to find the right talent to revive an old property with the love and respect fans expect. I'm not really an old-school Lone Ranger fan myself, but I think those hardcore fans will like what they see in this book. Of course, Dynamite wouldn't put out a book that was only for nostalgia buffs, so they give us a great new take on the Ranger that will appeal to any readers who like a great story with beautiful art.

The Lone Ranger is written by Brett Matthews with art by Sergio Cariello (and art direction from John "Astonishing X-Men" Cassady). In Lone Ranger #3, they continue their version of the Ranger's origin. John Reid, masked and loaded for action, heads off to get revenge on the last of the men responsible for the deaths of his fellow rangers, including his father and brother. With villains and conspiracies all around him, John's going to need all the help he can get just to survive. Lucky for him, there's a guy named Tonto who seems willing to watch his back. Now, he'll just need to find a good horse...

If you are expecting the somewhat campy, sanitized version of the Lone Ranger from the old TV shows, you will be surprised by the extremely dark and gritty tone of this book. This story is told much more in the vein of Clint Eastwood than Roy Rogers. The Ranger's world is violent and the villains he will be coming up against are cruel and sadistic. If you are a fan of the new Jonah Hex, you definitely don't want to miss what Dynamite is doing with The Lone Ranger.

Go to Guy Gardner: Collateral Damage #1

Every office or organization has one and, somehow, they never go away, no matter how much everyone wishes they would. You know the person I'm talking about-the big jerk who does everything wrong, but always gets away with it. They make stupid, inappropriate jokes, steal office supplies, eat your carefully labelled lunch, and mouth off to everyone and anyone. Every school, business, store, or team has one (or two) of these idiots. For the Green Lantern Corps, that jerk who drives everyone crazy and nobody wants to deal with is Guy Gardner.

Amongst all of the noble and self-sacrificing heroes of the Corps, Guy stands out as a selfish bigmouth who just happens to be great with a power ring. The only reason for the Corps to keep a guy like Guy around is to have someone to do the dirty, unpleasant, nasty jobs that all those heroic and noble types don't want to touch. When you need a Green Lantern who isn't afraid to break some bones and kick someone when they're down, you need Guy Gardner. Guy always speaks his mind, regardless of how others might feel about what he has to say. Of course, you wouldn't want him anywhere near sensitive diplomatic situations of any kind. Right?

Well, maybe just this once. The Rann-Thanagar War in the DC Universe has gotten ugly, and there are some parties who would like to put an end to the killing and destruction. Earth has no involvement in the war, so it seems like maybe an Earthling would make a good neutral arbiter. Maybe an Earthling who has some degree of experience with other space-faring races, or even one who owns, say, a bar, where talks could be held. Of course, you need an arbiter who doesn't have a stake in the outcome and who won't be swayed by feelings and stuff. Someone, like Guy Gardner, who just doesn't really care very much.

Guy Gardner: Collateral Damage #1 (of 2) is a great meeting of character and creator. The legendary Howard Chaykin writes and draws this book, and he's great at writing guys who aren't the nicest dudes around. Guy's jerky dialogue is perfect, and kinda fun to read aloud. (Somewhere deep down, we all have an inner jerk just dying to get out, don't we?) Chaykin's art is clean, yet detailed, and loaded with style. He perfectly captures the little details, like Guy's sneer, and the big stuff, like marauding alien hordes.

Don't be a jerk! Give Guy Gardner: Collateral Damage a chance. Is that so much to ask? Or does Guy have to kick your worthless rear end? He'll do it, ya know.

Launching a better NewUniversal #1

Back in the dark depths of the '80s, the folks at Marvel had a pretty good idea. Why not start a whole new universe, where we can tell stories that don't fit into the regular, hero-filled Marvel Universe? The New Universe was a parallel reality, closer to our real world than the Marvel U, a whole new universe where anything could happen. The possibilities were endless! And then they came out with books starring a guy with a super-powered tool box and a bunch of other mediocre, goofy characters. The New Universe soon vanished, never to be heard from again. Until today...

Marvel is taking another shot at making the New Universe cool, and this time they have talented guys like Warren Ellis and Salvador Larroca at the helm. In NewUniversal #1, Ellis takes the basic concept of a realistic, parallel world where people gain powers, and runs off wildly in his own direction with it. The first issue introduces a bunch of interesting characters, but doesn't give away too much about where they are all headed. They are just living their normal lives, good and bad, when something weird happens. There is a white flash in the night sky, an ancient temple is uncovered, weird symbols pop up everywhere, some people die and some people seem to develop paranormal abilities.

Being a Warren Ellis book, NewUniversal is full of great characters, big sci-fi concepts, and a few angry Brits. What more could anyone ask for in a comic? (Besides a monkey pirate fighting a zombie ninja. They seem to have left that out of this issue.) Salvador Larocca's art is also a real treat. He excels at small character moments and facial expressions, but he also pulls off giant, cosmic, space stuff. His work here is a little more down to Earth than his recent X-Men art, which emphasizes that the strange goings-on are happening to "real" people. A strange flash in the sky would be the least weird thing to happen in the craziness filled Marvel Universe, but here it seems unique and ominous.

I'm not really sure what might happen next in NewUniversal, and that is a good thing. There is a whole new world of possibilities opened up here and, with Ellis and Larocca in charge, it will be fun finding out what happens next. As long as they keep those Kickers, Inc guys far away from this guaranteed Book of the Week. They were sooo lame.

No Conspiracy Engima Cipher #1

If you believe the conspiracy theorists of the world, you probably think the government is watching you at this very moment. Not the government guys we all see fooling around on CNN, wasting taxpayer money on whatever it is they do all day, but the dark-suited guys behind the scenes. The guys who have Hitler's brain in a jar, keep all the crashed UFOs to themselves, and could have anyone "rubbed out" with one cryptic command. The guys who have the REAL power. Of course, such secret government agencies are pure fantasy, right? Or maybe that's just what they want us to think...

Enigma Cipher #1, from Boom! Studios, drops readers right into the deep end of this mysterious world. A college professor stumbles across a coded Nazi message from World War II. He reports it to the state department, and then shares his discovery with a class. Decoding a message like this should be no big deal, right? It's surely just some dusty old piece of history, a curiousity for students to play around with. There's no way it could lead to a whole lot of people dying, or put a star student on the run from a monolithic organization out to silence her for good. Right? Or maybe that's just what I want you to think...

Written by Andrew Cosby and Michael Alan Nelson, Enigma Cipher could easily be the next blockbuster thriller in the "Bourne Identity" vein. It has a strong and believable cast of characters, even the ones who quickly find themselves victims of the sweeping conspiracy. The story is loaded with twists and turns that keep readers just as unsure about what's happening, or who can be trusted, as Casey (the computer genius heroine who tries to break the enigmatic code).

Greg Scott's art is perfect for this story. His use of heavy shadows and dark tones keeps events shrouded in mystery. There could be, and often are, enemies lurking behind every corner.

This review may leave you with many questions, but there's only one way to find the answers. You DO want to know the answers, don't you? I'm sure it's perfectly safe for you to read Enigma Cipher #1. There's no way you could learn too much by reading this guaranteed Book of the Week. Or maybe that's just what I want you to think...