A Twist on a Tried-and-True Concept: Morning Glories #1

Some of us may have to think harder than others to remember, but everyone who has ever attended school can surely think back to a scary first day. Whether it was elementary school, middle school, high school, or college, the concerns are basically the same. What if the other kids don't like me? What if the teachers are mean? What if the classes are too hard? What if the school is going to imprison me and kill my family if they refuse to forget me? Oh, wait. That last one only happens at the Morning Glory Academy.

Morning Glories #1, by Nick Spencer and Joe Eisma, is the start of a new Image that feels like it is destined for a successful future. The first issue introduces a large cast of characters, giving us plenty of opportunity to get to know them all before they end up packed off to the scariest boarding school ever. Each character has a very different and distinct background, making them an interesting and diverse group. They all seem to be highly intelligent, but some are selfish and vain, some are resourceful and ambitious, and a couple of them seem like they might just be outright evil.

It is unclear what thread connects these disparate individuals, but Spencer has made them all interesting enough that you will want to know what happens to them now that they find themselves thrown together at Morning Glory Academy. The school itself seems to be, on the surface, a prestigious boarding school for the best and the brightest. They boast that their unconventional techniques allow their students to reach the pinnacles of their potential, but there is some disturbing stuff just underneath the surface of life at the academy. One thing is for sure, they aren't kidding when they say you have to "cast off" your previous life to begin your journey at this school.

With well-developed characters, creepy teacher shenanigans, and loads of mysteries to explore, there is a lot to catch your attention in Morning Glories #1. The large cast is well-represented with gorgeous art that makes each one a distinct individual, and the teens are, in many ways, typical teens, without ever descending into becoming stereotypes. Throw in some very scary teachers and an occasional goat sacrifice, and this is a book that you don't want to miss.

Whether you are about to go back to school, or you're sending your own kids out the door this week, now is the perfect time to tag along to class with the latest group of students to attend the Morning Glory Academy. This book is 100% guaranteed all week at Four Color Fantasies, so you've got nothing to lose! If nothing else, your own school experience will seem a whole lot better!

A Wild Read: Welcome to Tranquility #2

I think we all know that, in accordance with the universal laws of irony, if you name a place Tranquility, it will be anything but tranquil. The equally universal laws of super-hero comics also state that if you put a whole bunch of super-powered individuals together in any one place, trouble will soon follow. Add these two facts together, and you can imagine that the super-hero retirement community of Tranquility, CA. is a place that attracts huge heaps of trouble. It is a great place to visit, but it might be inadvisable to live there.

Wildstorm's latest Welcome to Tranquility limited series, from creator Gail Simone and artist Horacio Domingues, drops both readers and characters right into the middle of all that trouble. Mayor of Tranquility, and former heroic adventurer, Alex Fury has been in a whole heap of hot water for a little matter of attempted murder. Fury, AKA Judge Fury, is like the crankiest old grampa you ever knew, if he could pick up a building and smash you in the face with it when you ticked him off. As a politician, Fury knows how to make a jury see things his way, and he quickly finds himself heading for home and a celebratory meatloaf. Of course, nothing in Tranquility really goes as planned. The meatloaf is put on hold when the sheriff's car delivering Mayor to his welcome home party is attacked by an incredibly powerful young man who looks not entirely unlike a young Alex Fury.

Simone adeptly weaves together a little humor, a lot of social satire, a few nifty twists on comic book conventions, and a diverse and interesting cast of characters in Welcome to Tranquility. With excellent and fun art from Domingues, this new series is really firing on all cylinders. If you have read any of the previous stories set in this unique universe, you really have to see what happens next. If you have never visited Tranquility before, you can fire your travel agent and start the tour right here.

With surprise resurrections, helpful relationship tips, amazing meatloaf, betrayals, serious bludgeonings about the head, and so much more, you need to schedule a visit to tranquility today. Luckily, your good friends at Four Color Fantasies are looking out for you. You don't need to book a flight or look for a hotel room, you just need to check in at your friendly neighborhood comic shop! Not only can you try out Welcome to Tranquility: One Foot in the Grave for a mere 3.99 per issue, we'll guarantee your trip! If you don't enjoy your stay, you can return the book and get your money back

Issue #2 is one the stands and #1 is still available, so act now to take advantage of this offer! Tranquility may not offer the most restful vacation you've ever had, but it sure will be interesting. Just don't go asking Mayor Fury for any of that icky old man butterscotch candy, he'll kick your butt for ya, ya smarty-pants kid.

A Double-dose of Gorilla-Man fun

There are some things that comics can do that no other medium can handle. One of the most amazing, incredible, awesome things that comics can truly bring to life is a talking gorilla who wears pants. Seriously, in any other medium, this is going to be a hard sell. Sure, you can have a lame guy in a gorilla suit, or a fancy, shiny, CG gorilla, or even a Muppet gorilla, but those never really work to convince an audience that the talking gorilla is real.

Think of all the great examples out there in comic-land: Gorilla Grodd, Angel and the Ape, Monkeyman and O'Brien, Tom Strong's King Solomon. Who doesn't love these characters? If Alan Moore was enough of a genius to know that his superhero universe wasn't complete without a well-dressed, chatty, gorilla, who are we to argue? Luckily, we can now add one more name to the gorilla honor roll-Ken Hale, the Gorilla-Man!

Marvel's Atlas family of books have been consistently well-written and great fun, but they have somehow gone unnoticed by many fans. It's too long a story to relate here but, in the excellent Agents of Atlas series, Jimmy Woo manages to resurrect his team of Golden Age Marvel/Atlas characters to sort out the problems of the present day Marvel Universe. This brilliant team of adventurers includes the robot M-11, Marvel Boy the Uranian, Namora, and Gorilla Man. Together, they go on action-packed adventures and fight the threats no other team is cool enough to handle. Each of the characters is a star all on their own, so it's great that there is a new mini-series that gives Gorilla-Man a chance to shine on his own.

Ken Hale actually became Gorilla-Man decades ago when he shot and killed a magical gorilla which gave him the gift of immortality, and the curse of being trapped in the body of the gorilla. The mini-series, by Jeff Parker and Giancarlo Caracuzzo, tells two titanic tales. The story of how Hale, adventurer and soldier of fortune, became the man he was before becoming Gorilla-Man, and a full-on action tale as Ken heads to Africa sort out an evil smuggler and his personal army. With great stories, excellent art, and a huge dose of fun, this is a series you don't want to miss.

Lucky for you, you don't have to miss it! Not only is Gorilla-Man Four Color Fantasies' Guaranteed Book of the Week, we have two simian-packed issues on the stands! Pick up the first issue, and we're pretty confident that you'll be back for the second. Or just go all-out and pick up both of them today! Gorilla-Man #1 & 2 will give you your recommended daily allowance of butt-kicking gorilla dispensing wise-cracks and wearing pants. What else could you possibly need? (Though if you DO need more, there are also some cool Golden Age reprints and a snarky @Ken_Hale twitter feed provided. So there!)