Adventurous Ink

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

2010-08-22T15:28:00.001-05:00

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

2010-08-15T10:46:00.001-05:00

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

2010-08-07T09:40:00.001-05:00

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!)

Seeing Red: Scarlet #1

2010-07-16T10:41:00.002-05:00

You know, I think it's fair to say that almost everyone has a moment in their life, somewhere in the teen years, where they realize that a lot of crummy stuff goes on in the world for no discernable reason. It's a pretty painful moment, passing from the naive innocence of youth to the pessimistic negativity of adulthood. That moment is why most teens have a pretty grumpy, angsty, few years where they work out how they, personally, are going to deal with life. Some people just let life make them angry and unhappy, some people try to find positive ways to make the world a better place, some people try to ignore the problem and hope it goes away, and some people plan armed and violent revolution. Well, that last option brings us to Scarlet.

Scarlet is a new creator-owned book from the well-known duo of Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev. If you've followed Bendis' work, you know there are really two versions of the fan-favorite writer. There is the Bendis who writes big, crazy superhero books like Avengers and Ultimate Spider-man, and there is the harder-edged Bendis who writes low-down and mean crime comics, like Jinx or Alias. (Not to forget Powers, which is kind of a mix of both.) I personally like both Bendis styles, though I know some tend to pick one or the other. Scarlet firmly falls in the latter category.

Scarlet is the story of a pretty average teenaged girl from Portland, with a pretty average life. At least until the day when the horrible unfairness of the world comes up and smacks her hard in the face. I won't give away what happens, but it turns her into the kind of girl who we see killing a cop in an alley on the first page of the book. She has her reasons, and she knows what she is doing is wrong, but she feels like she is doing what she has to do. Scarlet is certainly not the kind of person any of us would want to be, but she is an interestingly conflicted character.

Bendis tries out an interesting narrative technique for this book, with Scarlet breaking the fourth wall to speak directly to the reader. She doesn't just make an occasional quip or aside to the reader ala Deadpool or She-Hulk. Scarlet talks directly to the audience, telling us her story in a way that quickly gets the reader involved in her world. Maleev's amazing artwork is a perfect fit for this story. His photo-realistic style captures Scarlet's very real world, and the muted colors add to the somber tone of this book. These creators have worked together before to great acclaim, and Scarlet seems perfectly designed to let them show off what they do best.

So, unleash your inner angsty teen (or just keep your outer one in place) and try out Scarlet #1 while it is Four Color Fantasies' Book of the Week. It is 100% guaranteed! So, you see, the world isn't really such a bad place. Guaranteed comics make people happy!

The Main Man's in Town: Green Lantern #55

2010-07-03T08:14:00.001-05:00

Who is the baddest dude in the whole DC Universe? A few hints: He's pasty and mean! He's got a sweet chopper and a huge meat hook! He has a serious attitude problem and he's not afraid to flaunt it!! He's the main man and the last Czarnian!! You know him and fear him!!! Lobo!

Yes Lobo, the roughest and toughest bounty hunter in all of space and time, is on the scene in Green Lantern #55, and you know that's gonna be bad news for someone. In this issue, the somewhat questionable Red Lantern Atrocitus (Did his alien parents really think it was a good idea to name their kid Atrocitus? That is never going to end well.) has had a price put on his head, and Lobo shows up to collect. Unfortunately, having Lobo and Atrocitus fighting it out in crowded city streets is probably not the best thing for health and safety of the citizenry. Luckily, a whole bunch of other, nicer, Lantern people show up to save the day and limit the damage.

Admittedly, I don't think I've ever actually read a whole issue of Green Lantern before, so I don't really know who most of these characters are, and this issue really is kind of in mid-story, so there were some elements that I didn't really get. But the beauty of this book is that, even if you don't know these characters, it's LOADS of fun to watch Lobo beat them up. And I'm pretty sure any Green Lantern fan is going to enjoy watching Hal Jordan steal Lobo's ride. Plus, Lobo's dog fights Atrocitus' awesome Red Lantern cat. I didn't know the Lanterns handed out rings to animals, but I can totally support the idea of more super-powered pets. I mean, what could possibly go wrong with that idea?

To sum up. If you are a Green Lantern fan, you need to see what happens when the Lanterns face the violent and angry threat of Lobo busting up their streets. If you aren't a fan, then you really don't want to miss the love child (Allegedly!) of Superman and Wolverine smashing their brightly colored, flying glow fairy faces in. It's a win-win!

So, hop on your space-hog and head on over to Four Color Fantasies where Green Lantern #55 is our guaranteed Book of the Week. Did I mention this book has Lobo in it? Well, it does. Lots of Lobo! So read it or else!

Overlooked Dynamic Duo in the spotlight: Hawkeye & Mockingbird #1

2010-06-26T07:24:00.000-05:00

Three Dog Night once sang, "One is the loneliest number that you'll ever know." (Go ahead and give the song a listen and then come back here. I'll wait.) Truer words were never spoken, yet so many superheroes in comicdom feel the need to be all "lone wolf" and broody, waging a one hero war against the forces of evil. Sure there are the big hero teams out there, but those guys can't hold a candle to the teamwork of a good duo. Batman and Robin, the Lone Ranger and Tonto, the Doctor and the Tardis, they all prove that a good pair is the way to go.

For a long time the Marvel Universe's best pair was broken up, mostly due to both of them being dead. (At different times, but still...) Luckily, now that all that Dark Civil Siege business is over and naughty little Norman Osborne has been locked up, the Marvel U is a happier place. Many characters long thought dead, or lost in new identities, are back where they belong. Amongst those returnng to the fold are the dynamic duo of Hawkeye & Mockingbird! These two heroes are both lovers and fighters and, when they're not smooching, they love nothing better than teaming up to save the world from terrorists and evil-doers of all kinds.

Hawkeye & Mockingbird #1, by Jim McCann and David Lopez, puts this titanic twosome front and center. Sometimes it's easy for these lesser-powered types to get lost in the huge casts of Avengers teams, so having their own book really gives them a chance to shine. The book starts with a great action sequence that really shows off how much fun these two have fighting evil, even when things don't quite go according to plan. Mockingbird, not really comfortable hanging with Hawkeye's Avenger buddies, has gathered up a bunch of former S.H.I.E.L.D. types to form the World Counterterrorism Agency. The WCA does the behind the scenes work of figuring out who needs a good kicking, and then Hawkeye and Mockingbird deliver.

Of course, a monthly comic needs conflict, so all is now sweetness and light with our heroes. Coming back from the dead leaves you with a few issues, and Bobbi (AKA Mockingbird) seems to be struggling with those complications a little more than Clint "Hawkeye" Barton. Like a good boyfriend, Clint tries to figure out how he can help, but his efforts just make things weirder. There are also a few members of the WCA team who may not be all that they seem, and it probably doesn't help matters that the couple has guys like Crossfire shooting at them...

This is a fun book with great art and a daring duo who deserve your attention. (On a side note, Mockingbird's redesigned costume is excellent. Definitely one of the best superhero looks out there.) Don't be a loner! Try Hawkeye & Mockingbird #1 now, while it is Four Color Fantasies guaranteed Book of the Week!

No need to be wary, Serenity: Float Out! lives up to licensed property

2010-06-26T07:17:00.002-05:00

Licensed comics based on TV shows and movies can be a bit of a mixed bag. Sometimes they provide a great way for beloved characters to live on in another medium, giving fans a chance to experience further adventures of their favorites. Unfortunately, sometimes fans must be wary because tie-in comics can be a ridiculous, lame excuse to part fans from their cash while despoiling the likenesses of once great characters. Luckily, for Joss Whedon fans, Mr. Whedon seems to keep a pretty close eye on what is done with his creations in comics. Some excellent books have been created featuring Buffy, Doctor Horrible, and Firefly/Serenity. Serenity: Float Out is one such book!

Serenity: Float Out deals with the aftermath of the death of pilot Hoban "Wash" Washburne in the movie Serenity. (I'm not worried about spoilers at this point. If you haven't seen the 5 year old movie by now, you probably aren't going to!) Three of his former comrades are christening a new ship, the Jetwash, in his honor. Each tells a tale of Wash's amazing prowess as a pilot, and his unusual quirks as a friend. As it does deal with the death of an important character, this is a somber book, but it does also have some moments of humor and hope.

This Dark Horse book is written by actor/comedian/comics fan Patton Oswalt with art from Patric Reynolds. Oswalt does a great job with the script, capturing the feel and voice of the characters and telling us the kind of story that would be hard to make work in a movie or TV episode. Reynolds art does a nice job of capturing likenesses without making it look like he just traced publicity shots of the actors. I've seen enough licensed comics where that happens to be glad it isn't the case here!

If you are a fan of Firefly/Serenity, you know you can't miss this book! If you aren't a fan and just want a nifty sci-fi tale about ships flying around and shooting at each other (and there seriously aren't enough of those nowadays!), then you should give this one a chance. Either way, Serenity: Float Out is guaranteed all week at Four Color Fantasies, so you've got nothing to lose by zipping through the old asteroid field and buying this comic. (Bottle of christening champaigne not inlcuded.)

It's MAGIC - great art and writing come together in Zatanna #1

2010-06-01T18:06:00.001-05:00

"Hey, Batman, watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat!"

"Again? Clark, this trick never works."

"This time for sure. Nothing up my sleeve....And Presto!"

(Horrific, fanged, Kryptonian beast emerges from the hat and begins frantically chewing on Superman's indestructible head. Batman smirks.)

"Hmmm, maybe I need to get another hat..."

This exchange, with apologies to the great Bullwinkle J Moose, does have a point. If there is one thing the Big Boys of the DC Universe don't really know how to handle, it's magic. Batman and Superman are all about logic and science, even if some of that science sometimes seems pretty close to magic. So when a bad guy shows up who is all about the Hocus Pocus, and the rules of the universe suddenly no longer apply, they need an expert who can wave a helping wand. Lucky for them, that expert just happens to be a gorgeous lady in fishnet stockings and thigh-high boots: Zatanna!

Zatanna #1 gives DC's first lady of magic a chance to shine in her own ongoing series by fan-favorite writer Paul Dini and penciller Stephane Roux. Zatanna is a stage magician by trade, but she's genuine super-heroic spell-caster when the unexplained and weird hits the good folks of the DCU. When Detective Dale Colton shows up backstage, it isn't because he wants to catch the secrets of Zee's act. He has a club full of dead crime bosses who died in some seriously disturbing ways. As in "completely impossible according to the laws of Physics" kinds of ways.

The investigation leads Zee to a skeevy necromancer called Brother Night and his merry band of supernatural horrors: Romalthi the transmogrifier, Ember the unborn dragon, and a little freak, with a box of bugs, named Teddy. Don't get me started on Teddy. He's an icky little sucker. Though Brother Night and his cronies don't seem to be much of a match for Zatanna, he has made a deal with some very powerful entities that just might threaten our heroine more than she suspects...

Dini's love of this character really comes through in the writing, and Roux's artwork makes Zatanna look gorgeous and the foes she faces look truly disturbing. Plus, how many super-heroes can pull off the trick of fighting evil in a sexy tuxedo and top hat? I'd like to see the Hulk or Aquaman try that. Even Doctor Strange can't get away with a top hat.

So, what do we have up our sleeve this week? Only a great deal on an excellent new book! Zatanna #1 is our guaranteed Book of the Week! If you don't like it, you can return it for a full refund. Taa-Daa! It's MAGIC! (Insert mystical hand waving and puff of obscuring smoke here.)

Realistic art, serious storyline - not your typical "celebrity" comic: Turf #1

2010-05-23T13:53:00.002-05:00

If you have BBC America in your cable/satellite package, you've probably come across Jonathan Ross at one time or another. Ross is one of the UK's best known talk show hosts. He's interviewed just about every celebrity on the planet, he is a respected movie critic, he has a proven track record in both radio and television, he's a generally well-loved, respected, and entertaining, if occasionally controversial, guy. What you may not know is that Jonathan Ross is also a big ol' comic book fan. Thanks to his resources and connections, Ross has a collection that would make most of us tremble at its magnitude. But he's not just a rich guy who throws money at collectibles, he has a genuine love of comics, art, and awesome storytelling, just like you and me.

What does this have to do with you? You might well wonder. Well, after years of being a comics fan, collector, and historian, Ross has taken the plunge to become a creator. And not like those lame "celebrity" comics where some star who has never read a comic gives a writer some vague notion he once thought might make a good movie and other people turn it into a second rate comic.

Turf #1 has been lovingly created by Ross with respected artist Tommy Lee Edwards. These guys aren't messing around either. Turf is a serious read, not something you can glance at on the shelf and know the whole story. And what a story! It has gangsters, vampires, sex, violence, plucky girl reporters, prohibition era speakeasies, and a crashing alien spaceship! What more could anyone ask for?

Turf is, essentially, about all these different factions in 1929 New York City fighting over, well, Turf. There is money, blood, and power to be had in the big city, and everyone wants a piece of it. The gangs have worked out an uneasy balance of power, but the introduction of the Romanian Dragonmir family, a family of old-world vampires, radically alters that balance. When the Dragonmirs start killing the mob bosses, the remaining kingpins want to take the fight to the bloodsuckers. Even the Dragonmirs are fighting amongst themselves, and things aren't going to be made any simpler by the alien fugitive crashing near Coney Island.

All of these somewhat unlikely elements are made totally credible by Edward's realistic, down-to-earth art. The grit and grime of New York's mean streets is captured just as well as the creepiness of the vampires, and the alien ship doesn't seem at all out of place. The writing is dense and meaty. You'll want to make yourself comfortable before settling in to read this book.

If you know Jonathan Ross as a renowned media celebrity, then you totally need to check out his first work as a comic book writer. If you've never heard of Ross, then Turf #1 is a great comic by a couple of amazingly talented creators. What could be better than that? Maybe if the local comic shop could guarantee this great book? Well, it's your lucky day! Turf #1 is Four Color Fantasies' guaranteed Book of the Week! Twy it for Wossy.

A dollar can buy you a cute zombie, a swingin' ghost, and some amazing art: iZombie #1

2010-05-17T16:54:00.002-05:00

So, with the economy what it is and prices for everything going through the roof, there just isn't much you can buy with a dollar nowadays. Maybe some artery-clogging monstrosity from a fast food joint's bargain menu or twenty minutes worth of parking time, but that's about it. Well, bargain shopper, today is your lucky day! If you have a dollar, and want to be entertained, Four Color Fantasies has just the thing! Does an awesome comic, with great art, for just one crisp (or soggy, if you must) dollar sound too good to be true? Believe it, oh sceptical reader, believe it.

iZombie #1 is the first issue of the latest mature readers series from Vertigo. You already know that the fine folks at Vertigo are renowned for bringing readers the world over heaping helpings of literary greatness on a regular basis, and this series seems set to uphold this fine tradition. Writer Chris Roberson is clearly bent on bringing a refreshing new take to the supernatural beasties of myth and lore. The series star is the adorable Gwen Dylan. She's a gravedigger by day, and a mystery-solving zombie by night. Gwen is cute as a button and a very lively lass, but to stave off the effects of, you know, being dead, she has to eat a human brain once a month. Working around graves and dead folks makes brains fairly easy to come by, but they still taste like the worst thing you can imagine eating. Oh, and eating brains inflicts the memories of the dead on Gwen, leaving her to deal with their unfinished business.

Gwen is joined by a nifty cast of other supernatural folks, including a Swinging Sixties ghost girl named Ellie, a were-terrier with a crush on her named Spot (though he prefers Scott), and some sexy vampire chicks who work at the local paintball course. Of course, there are also some mysterious dudes in town who seem to be out to do away with the undead, so the future may not be smooth sailing for Gwen and her friends.

Is all this worth the price of a mere dollar? You bet it is. But wait! There's more! This comic also features the awesome art of Michael Allred. You may remember his unique pop-art take on comics from such books as Madman and X-Statics. Allred's work always combines great story-telling with a quirky, spunky style. The world envisioned by Allred is a spectacularly groovy place, and you would be crazy not to want to visit it!

Seriously, for just one puny dollar you can have a cute zombie, a swingin' ghost, a were-terrier, and some amazing art! How could you pass up this deal? Did I mention that this book is guaranteed? That's right! If you don't love this comic, we'll give you your dollar back and you can waste it on a pack of gum or a greasy burger. Act now, because supplies are limited! Rush over to Four Color Fantasies and buy iZombie today!!

Overlooked Super-hero kicks off with fan-favorite Kevin Smith: The Green Hornet #3

2010-05-10T17:08:00.001-05:00

The Green Hornet is a lot like Batman. Only much cooler. Now, I am well aware that this statement has instantly earned me the wrathful disdain of many Bat-Fans, but hear me out. (And put those movie-replica Batarangs away, please!)

Both characters were born during the same pulp era. I'm honestly not sure which came first, but that's irrelevant. There were a ton of similar costumed crime-fighters who came along during the Thirties and Forties, so none of them can really claim to be terribly original or unique. Both are rich white guys who put on costumes to fight crime and protect their home city. Both have cool gadgets, awesome cars, and a costumed sidekick. So what gives me the unmitigated temerity to claim that Green Hornet, an admittedly lesser-known character, is superior?

First of all, the costume. Yeah, Batman is spooky and brooding and all, but he's still a crazy guy dressed as flying vermin. And then there's the cape. Though I haven't done much crimefighting myself, I tend to think a massive, flowing cape would get in the way and be something of a liability. Green Hornet, on the other hand, is a very sharp dresser with a spiffy suit, a natty tie, and a cool fedora. Plus, trenchcoat beats cape any day for an intimidating, yet snazzy, crime fighting accessory. Who would you rather talk to at a party, the guy in a well-tailored suit, or the guy crouching in the corner in his pointy-eared Bat-head?

Next up, choice of sidekick. I know there have been many Robin variants over the years, but the standard model is a teenage boy in tights and a bright orange shirt. What in the name of Wertham is up with that? Aside from all the snide and unsavory remarks that one could make about the whole situation, the child endangerment angle is simply unforgivable. Green Hornet, on the other hand, has Kato. An amazing and accomplished martial artist, who is every bit the equal (or better) of the hero. Just compare the actors who portrayed the characters in their Sixties TV shows: Robin=Burt Ward, Kato=Bruce Lee. Bruce Freakin' Lee! In that match-up, Robin would hit the turf faster than he could say "Holy boot upside my head, Batman!"

So, The Green Hornet is awesome and deserves more attention than he gets. You have a chance to see for yourself this week. Dynamite has a whole lot of Green Hornet comics in the works, and their revival of the character kicks off with a series written by fan-favorite Kevin Smith, with art by Jonathan Lau. This series is based on Smith's unproduced movie script, and makes it seem like a real shame that we aren't ever going to see this given the blockbuster treatment it deserves. The story respectfully updates the Green Hornet mythos, and tells new readers everything they need to know about the character, without weighing things down with unnecessary exposition.

Green Hornet #3 is this week's Guaranteed Book of the Week, and you can jump right in with this issue and enjoy the ride. Britt Reid makes Bruce Wayne look like the creepy weirdo no one wants to sit with on the bus! Cooler costume, cooler sidekick, cooler theme song. (I'm sure you can check it out on YouTube.) Do the right thing, and take a ride with The Green Hornet!

A Cracking Start to a new Spirit series: Will Eisner's The Spirit #1

2010-04-25T09:58:00.001-05:00

When you think of the great icons of American comics, a small handful of brilliant, influential, geniuses comes to mind: Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Jim Steranko, Bob Kane, and a few others. But one name stands above them all. One creator who gave us amazing stories and characters, as well as influencing the way comics are made and read, the way all the stories that came after his are told. The most prestigious award in graphic storytelling is named in his honor. Hopefully, by now you know I'm talking about Will Eisner!

If you know anything about Will Eisner, you probably know his most famous character is the man in the domino mask known as The Spirit. (If you only know the Spirit from the ill-conceived Frank Miller film, please wipe it from your mind immediately.) The Spirit, aka Denny Colt, is one of the founding heroes of comicdom, so it is only appropriate that DC is giving him another chance to shine in their new First Wave imprint. Many creators have been inspired to give readers their take on this iconic hero, with varying levels of success, but the version found in Will Eisner's The Spirit #1 seems set to be one of the best.

Writer Mark Shultz and artist Moritat do a great jump of jumping in running with the Spirit and his world. If you already know the character, you will find a lot of familiar faces and places in this book. Even though the old gang is all in place, Denny and his friends and foes have all been given some subtle updates to make them just a little bit more contemporary. There is an excellent mix of old and new in this version of Central City. Even if you have never picked up a Spirit comic before, this issue gives you everything you need to get started, while wasting no time with reimagined origins or any similar nonsense.

Denny is a former cop, now thought deceased, who does his best to help the people of his city and prevent the nefarious schemes of the Octopus and his eight crime families. When the families decide that they have had enough of the Spirit meddling in their affairs, they call in a big-shot assassin from Europe-a mysterious killer known only as Angel Smerti. The Spirit catches wind of this plot, but isn't too worried about anything this Angel character can throw his way. Unfortunately, Angel Smerti might be a much more dangerous threat than Denny can imagine...

This book is a cracking start to a new Spirit series. The story is intriguing and fast-paced. The art perfectly captures that feeling of classic Eisner storytelling, but isn't afraid to be new and modern at the same time. If you are a Spirit fan, you don't want to miss this book, but if you have never read a Spirit story before, this is a great place to start.

Try this heaping helping of classic adventure now, while Will Eisner's The Spirit #1 is Four Color Fantasies guaranteed Book of the Week. You wouldn't want to miss out on one of the great icons of comic book storytelling, would you? I think not.

The Breast...I mean, Best Cameo in comics: PVP #45

2010-04-18T13:13:00.001-05:00

Nerds are awesome. Lets just get that out in the open first thing. If you're reading this, there is a fair to middling chance that you are some sort of nerd or geek. I know I am. We come in many varieties, but all are equally awesome. So, unless you're reading this as some sort of spy sent to infiltrate our community (Admittedly, this seems unlikely.), you are probably right in the heart of the audience who will love PVP #45.

PVP chronicles the lives and adventures of the nerds, geeks, and anthropomorphic animals who work on the fictional magazine Player vs. Player. Any reader can jump right in to these comic strip-style adventures, without needing any familiarity with the characters. Like the best newspaper strips, you can just jump right in and giggle away. Writer/artist Scott Kurtz gives you everything you need from the very first panel.

This issue actually includes several stories featuring the terror of the giant panda invasion, the WWF vs the WWE, the yuletide horror of Kringus ("Born of the Tears of Children."), and the relationship travails of love, marriage, and bromance. All of these stories are funny, but I'll be honest with you here: if you've never read PVP before, the breast, umm, I mean BEST, reason to pick up this comic is a certain unexpected cameo. Allow me to explain.

When Brent goes searching for a missing co-worker, he ends up at the Liberty Meadows Animal Sanctuary and finds himself face to rack with none other than Frank Cho's Brandy. Blinded and bewildered by Brandy's generous "assets," Brent finds himself unable to get through a single sentence without slipping up and dropping in some breast-related spoonerism. I'd share more of them with you here, but that would spoil the fun. I'll just say that for any dedicated Cho fan, this is a guest appearance you won't want to miss.

Nerds, Comedy, booby puns, giant panda violence, killer Christmas trees, and even an explosion--what more could anyone ask for in a single issue? OK, maybe a ninja would have been nice, but you can't have everything. What you can have is a chance to try out PVP #45 for yourself, with the security of Four Color Fantasies' money back guarantee. Don't wait another minute, because this comic will really "enhance" your huge "rack." Your rack of comics, I mean. I assume it's huge, right? (OK, I couldn't resist one more. I promise it won't happen again.)

X-Men Origins: Nightcrawler

2010-04-18T13:07:00.002-05:00

Though his code-name doesn't necessarily inspire the sort of awesome heroic qualities that most superheroes go for, Nightcrawler has long been one of the coolest, most interestingly conflicted, X-Men. (I mean, is he supposed to have giant earthworm powers? Is he the perfect mutant to take along on fishing trips?) Name issues aside, Kurt Wagner's true history has been portioned out to readers over time, with some facts only coming to light 20 years or more after Nightcrawler first joined the X-Men. Luckily, the good folks at Marvel have put all the bits and pieces together in X-Men Origins: Nightcrawler.

This completely self-contained one-shot issue tells the tale of young Kurt's abandonment by his true mother, the mutant shape-shifter and trouble-maker Mystique, and his adoption by the kind Margali Szardos. Unfortunately, adopting this blue, demonic-looking baby makes Margali an outcast. Even more unfortunately, she and Kurt (along with Margali's own children) are taken in by Herr Getmann, so Kurt can appear in his freak show and perform in his circus.

Getmann is a cruel man, who wields his power over Margali's family with threats and physical violence. Kurt is kept drugged and locked in a cage like an animal, not daring to even try to escape for fear of the consequences for his mother. When Kurt is finally given no choice but to flee, he finds sanctuary in the church and a father in the priest who takes him in. Of course, Kurt's life is never easy and it isn't long before the terrors of his past catch up with him...

If you are new to the world of the X-Men, this tale, by writers Adam Freeman and Marc Bernardin, sums up everything you might want to know about this dashing mutant hero. If you're an old hand and remember Kurt's first appearance in Giant-Size X-Men #1, this updated version of Kurt's origin adds some new wrinkles to the familiar tale. There is also a handy reprint of that first appearance included here for your perusal, so you're really getting two origins for the price of one!

So, bamf on over to Four Color Fantasies today and try X-Men Origins: Nightcrawler while it is our guaranteed Book of the Week. It is a great read with some nifty art, and you get a complete story with no crossovers or further reading required. Plus, if you're feeling adventurous, you can roll it up, stick it in your pocket, and take it fishing with you. It may not help, but you never know.

Felicia Day sells The Guild

2010-04-18T13:03:00.001-05:00

Ever wonder how The Guild of Felica Day’s eponymous web series became the cooperative role-playing team they are? (What you haven't seen The Guild? I insist you pick up the DVDs, or check it out online at http://www.watchtheguild.com/ , right now. Well, after you read this awesome prequel series...) Maybe you're looking for a comic to get your closest gal pal hooked or you're looking for a way to rationalize your own M.M.O.R.G.G. addiction.

Any of these reasons are valid reasons to pick up the Dark Horse limited series The Guild. Felicia Day is responsible for the scripts so the voice of her main character Cyd is spot on and the story tropes, like the opening sequence of her telling us the story through her web cam, are all there. The art by Jim Rugg is believably life-like from Cyds slouched posture to the uncomfortable physical interaction with her boyfriend Trevor. The scenes from The Game are water-color fantasy pretty.

In this first issue, Cyd meets two future members of The Guild -- Bladezz and Vork. The introductions are suitably understated, but fans of the web series will enjoy the subtle selfish behavior of Bladezz and the overt heroic behavior from Vork. Although current fans will love this background story, there's no need to be familiar with the source. As an introductory tale, we are told the story from a fresh perspective. Most readers will connect with Cyd as they watch her work through her awkward social relationships, struggle with finding her identity, and finally escape into a fantasy game world.

As you look for your own escape, check out The Guild. After all, you can't go wrong when it's Four Color Fantasies' Guaranteed Book of the Week.

A Reason to Love the Undead: American Vampire

2010-03-21T08:07:00.002-05:00

The popularity of the vampire comes and goes in pop culture, but those blood-sucking creatures of the night are always lurking around somewhere. The idea of the vampire is as immortal as the creatures themselves. Just when audiences get tired of them, somebody finds a way to re-invent the vamps and they come back more powerful than ever. If, like me, you aren't a big fan of the current wave of angsty, pretty, sparkly, vampire lover-boys, then American Vampire may be just what you need to make you love the undead all over again.

Vertigo's newest series, American Vampire is brought to you by a team consisting of Scott Snyder, Rafael Albuquerue and, a promising writer you may have heard of, Stephen King. The series asks the question, what if vampires change and evolve over time? As new people in new places are "turned," they may well bring something new to the table. If the stereotypical "Old World" vampires infected the landscape of rough and tumble early America, what would be the result?

The first arc of this series tells the story of two particular American vampires. First up is Pearl Jones, a tough young lady trying to make something of herself in 1920s Hollywood. She works hard to survive in this town that tends to chew up and spit out the weak, and she succeeds. That is, she succeeds until she runs into some blood-sucking producers who are actually blood-suckers. Of course, Pearl's story only begins with that fateful encounter...

Next up is the tale of 1880s Western outlaw Skinner Sweet. He's a bad, bad, man, but Skinner is smart enough and mean enough to thrive in the lawless world of the Old West. Little does Skinner suspect that the bloodless banker he's been robbing is something even worse than the outlaw himself. It is clear from the start that Pearl and Skinner's stories are interconnected, and they are just the beginning of generations of American vampires. (I suspect Skinner Sweet is on the fast-track to comic book icon status. You read it here first!)

American Vampire was created by Scott Snyder, but King was so impressed and excited by the pitch he read for the series that he asked if he could contribute. This is not one of those comics adapted from King's work, or based on a story idea he gave someone, this is an actual, scripted comic written by King himself. For the opening arc of this series, he is writing Skinner's introductory tale while Snyder handles Pearl's story. With these two great writers on board, Albuquerque's amazing art seals the deal. He does the art for both stories, but brings a different style to each time period, perfectly capturing the "feel" of both eras.

So, with a viscious outlaw vampire, a '20s Hollywood starlet, intense characters, and great art, there is no possible excuse for you to miss out on this new series. Especially now that American Vampire is Four Color Fantasies' guaranteed Book of the Week. If you're ready for some blood-sucking fiends with no sparkle whatsoever, you need to sink your fangs into this comic!

Mysteries will keep you reading: Sparta: U.S.A. #1

2010-03-13T09:30:00.002-05:00

Ahhh, the American Dream. You know what that is right? Hard work, patriotism, white picket fences, football, brutally killing your neighbors to get their stuff, and maybe winning a baby on Stork Day. What, doesn't that sound right to you? Well, it may not be the Dream where you live, but it sure is in Sparta: U.S.A.

Wildstorm's Sparta: U.S.A., by writer David Lapham and artist Johnny Timmons, is a new series set in a very strange reality. In many ways, Sparta is the ultimate vision of what 1950s America was supposed to be. It's a place where people work hard to support their families, take pride in their homes and their town, go to church every Sunday, and play football. In fact, EVERYONE there plays football. In a town with under 10,000 citizens, there are literally hundreds of football teams. Of course, none of those teams are as great as the Mighty Spartans, a team so awesome that they never, ever, lose. The Mighty Spartans are the town's true heroes, beloved and respected by all. Especially the legendary Godfrey McLaine, the greatest player in Spartan history.

The Spartan version of the American Dream does have a few weird lapses, though. (Aside from all the football, that is.) In Sparta, what you do behind closed doors is 100% your own business, even if that means slaughtering your neighbors to advance your own family. In fact, the mysteriously blue Maestro encourages such noble ambition, unless you mess up and let your actions be seen by the public. It is the responsibilty of every citizen to keep up the facade of life in Sparta. Another odd thing: children aren't born in Sparta, they are handed out on Stork Day, great gifts from the unseen President of the U.S.A. Oh, and then there are the yeti up in the hills. They eat people who go up there, so no one ever leaves Sparta. No one except Godfrey McLaine, that is.

Life in Sparta is seriously shaken up when Godfrey returns home. After he disappeared into the hills, he was assumed dead by the citizens of Sparta. But, three years later, he comes back, bright red and with a message to the people of Sparta that they are living a lie. His plan to take down the Maestro means that nothing in Sparta will ever be the same...

Sparta: U.S.A. is a lot like the darkest Twilight Zone episode ever. Its skewed vision of an ideal America is disturbing, and there are plenty of mysteries to keep readers guessing as to just what is going on in this "perfect" American town. Luckily, you have an amazing opportunity to try this new series out with no personal risk to your life or family. Strap on your football helmet and rush over to Four Color Fantasies today where you can pick up this guaranteed Book of the Week with no fear of reprisals or yeti attack!

A Compelling Start to an Overlooked Crossover: Doomwar #1

2010-03-07T09:54:00.003-05:00

He's the baddest dude in the whole Marvel Universe. He's the man with many a plan, the man in the iron mask, the dictator from Latveria. He's the Fantastic Four's greatest enemy, and the one guy NO ONE really wants to cross. He'll wipe you from the face of the Earth before you even know what happened. That's right, you all know who I'm talkin' about. It's DOOM, baby! Victor Von Doom, that is. And he's planning to take over the world.

There are an awful lot of thoroughly hyped event comics crossovers going on in the big two's superhero universes right now. Arguably, a few too many. In between all the Black Lanterns, Sieges, and Hulk Wars, many readers seem to have missed another, less hyped but equally Earth-shattering event: Doomwar.

Of course, Doctor Doom is always scheming up new ways to conquer the world and put a stop to that accursed Reed Richards and his heroic shenanigans, but this time he seems to be onto a real winner. He's teamed up with some shadowy insurgents to wrest control of the Black Panther's country, Wakanda, from its rightful rulers. Taking over one country is pretty small potatoes for Doom, but Wakanda also happens to be the world's only source of the miracle metal Vibranium. In the hands of the right craftsman, Vibranium can make some amazing gadgets, like Captain America's shield, for example. But it can also amplify mystical energy, and Doom has a whole bunch of mystical energy at his fingertips. With ten thousand tons of Vibranium at his command, Doom could easily become the most powerful force ever to walk the Earth. And considering some of the folks who have walked the Marvel U's Earth, we're talking about some serious power.

To conquer Wakanda, Doom had to get King T'Challa, AKA the Black Panther, out of the way. That also means dealing with Queen Ororo, AKA the X-Men's Storm. As you can imagine, the X-Men aren't very happy to see Storm arrested and sentenced to execution for "treason." When an angry T'Challa shows up looking for some help to take back his country, he finds some more-than-willing mutants ready to go kick butt and chew bubblegum. Need I even mention that they're all out of bubblegum?

With the X-Men, the Black Panther, and Doctor Doom already invilved, you can bet it won't be long before even more of the Marvel Universe is pulled into the Doomwar. Writer Jonathan Maberry has gotten this story off to a compelling start. The characters are well-written, the stakes are high, and the drama will quickly pull you in. (And the last scene of the first issue is a definite "Whoa!" moment.) Scot Eaton's art is an excellent complement to the story, with loads of detail that lends the characters and events of this tale some serious dramatic heft. Best of all, this "event" is confined to one limited series, so you don't have to worry about a bazillion crossovers or spin-offs.

So, to reiterate: DOOM, baby, DOCTOR DOOM! (He's got a PHD in kicking your butt!) You know you love him, but if you don't give this guaranteed Book of the Week a try, you just might find yourself on his "naughty" list. Believe me, you DON'T want to be on Doom's naughty list. Pick up Doomwar #1 today, or you'll be sorry you didn't. Why? Because DOOM, that's why.

A Can't Miss Twist on Super-heroics: Incorruptible #3

2010-02-28T08:53:00.001-05:00

So, when the world's greatest hero goes bad, really, extremely, blowing-up-whole-cities bad, what are the bad guys supposed to do? I mean, it really takes the fun out of holding the hero's girlfriend hostage if he's just going to turn up and kill her himself. When the villainous Max Damage sees just how bad a hero gone wrong can be, he takes it upon himself to do something to make things right. If the hero has become Irredeemable, the villain has to become Incorruptible.

Irredeemable, from BOOM! Studios, is Mark Waid's first take on superheroic role-reversal. In that series, the Superman-like Plutonian gets fed up with people's ingratitude, complaints, and quibbles. He reaches a point where he truly snaps, and suddenly his god-like power is unleashed on the world. For no particular reason, he destroys whole cities and leaves a trail of destruction across the planet. For many citizens, the Plutonian's rampage seems to herald the end of the world.

Incorruptible is a sister series to Irredeemable, and gives readers another character whose world-view has totally shifted. When the Plutonian goes bad, Max Damage, the only bad guy ever able to stand up against the Plutonian, sees the true horror of what the world's greatest hero has done, he knows he has to change his ways. He has to do what's right and try to save the world. He has to become Incorruptible.

Max (who, by the way, has the greatest super-villain name EVER) turns in his henchmen, burns millions of dollars worth of ill-gotten gains, and even abandons his secret evil lair. He and his teenage side-kick, Jailbait, team up with police Lieutenant Louis Armadale to find a way to take on the Plutonian, or at least to defend themselves and others from his wrath. In Incorruptible #3, their search leads them to mad-scientist Dr. Origin, the man resposible for Max's powers. Their reunion in NOT a happy one...

Incorruptible is written by the always-excellent Mark Waid, with excellent art by Jean Diaz. If you have been reading Irredeemable, you cannot miss Incorruptible. If you haven't read Irredeemable, this book works just fine on its own. For a great twist on the traditional way things work in superhero comics, you can't do better than this. There are no moral absolutes, but there are many ambiguous gray areas to explore.

When you can't trust your heroes, who can you trust? You can trust Four Color Fantasies, of course! Try Incorruptible #3 this week, and you have our incorruptible money-back guarantee. Don't get Max Damage-d, read this book!

Unexpected storytelling, powerful art: Demo #1

2010-02-22T18:18:00.002-05:00

Everybody dreams. Sometimes we dream about things we want. Sometimes we dream about things that scare us. Sometimes, we dream about weird stuff that doesn't seem like it should be lurking in our head. Whatever your dreams are like, I think we can agree that dreams are made of some powerful stuff. Sometimes, that power can be pretty terrifying.

In Demo #1, The Waking Life of Angels, young Joan has had a bad dream. In her dream, she sees someone falling from the top of a massive cathedral. There is a man there who may be helping, or who may have pushed the victim to her death. Joan sees this dream playing over and over again every time she closes her eyes. The dream itself doesn't get a chance to come back because Joan can't sleep anymore. Every time she tries, that dream starts playing in her mind, and she stays wide awake. After nine days without sleep, the dream is becoming a serious issue...
Vertigo's Demo #1 is actually the return of this critically acclaimed series written by Brian Wood and drawn by Becky Cloonan. This series is unique because each issue tells a stand-alone story, with no recurring characters or ongoing plotlines to follow. The central idea is about young people with unusual powers, but these are not teens who discover that "with great power comes great responsibility" and suit up to fight crime. These are short but powerful tales about how the gifts affect the lives of everyday people, proving that special abilities may not always be a good thing.

Wood's stories are intriguing and unexpected, and Cloonan's black and white art is gorgeous and powerful. Together these two creators are doing something very different from the standard superhero story. That's not something you want to miss out on, right?

It's not a dream (or a hoax, or an imaginary story) that you can try out Demo #1 all week at absolutely no risk to yourself or your wallet! This awesome comic is guaranteed all week long at Four Color Fantasies. Stop dreaming and start reading!

Marvel Boy: The Uranian #1

2010-01-17T10:49:00.001-05:00

Uranus: the mysterious 7th planet in the solar system, also universally acknowledged as the planet with the funniest name EVER. I mean, we all know nothing good ever comes from Uranus. Uranus is dark and scary. Oh, and gassy. Uranus is definitely gassy. Aliens from Uranus? I certainly can't imagine anything worse. So, I think we can all agree that it would be best if we just avoid the topic of Uranus entirely. Unfortunately for the hero known as Marvel Boy (AKA The Uranian), it is impossible to discuss his origins without occasionally mentioning Uranus. Let's just hope we can all be mature enough to get through this.

Marvel Boy: The Uranian #1 is actually a pretty excellent spin-off from the amazing, and under-rated, Agents of Atlas. Written by Jeff Parker, with art by Felix Ruiz, this series takes a look at how the Golden Age hero Marvel Boy first came to our world. Bob Grayson was a human boy whose super-genius father, desperate to escape Earth after witnessing the atrocities of Nazi Germany, built a rocket that allowed them to escape to the 7th planet. The Uranians there were humans colonists who, for thousands of years, had taken a different path. They developed a very different society, and amazing technology that allowed them to achieve miraculous feats.

Bob has returned to Earth to know more about his people, and to try to set an example of a better way for them to live. He wants to be a hero, but finds out that humans aren't quite ready to accept his help. Going around telling people that he's from Uranus certainly doesn't help. Luckily, Bob Grayson meets a comic book creator looking for a new hero, a man who can give Bob some help in becoming the hero he wants to be. First order of business? A catchy name that people can remember! In short order The Uranian becomes Marvel Boy, and a hero is born!

Of course, things are more complicated than they seem. The Uranian Council may have goals in mind beyond simply helping the human race. His isolated upbringing on Uranus has made Bob awfully naive and open to manipulation from those who would use him for their own purposes...

The first issue of this series is loaded with extra value, too! Not only do you get the all-new story of Marvel Boy's first adventures on Earth, you also get two nifty Golden Age reprints of Marvel Boy stories from the early 1950s with art from Russ Heath and Bill Everett. So, no more juvenile Uranus jokes from me. Just head over to Four Color Fantasies and try out our guaranteed Book of the Week-Marvel Boy: The Uranian #1. It's a great book, and you'll develop a new respect for the oft-maligned 7th planet!

Good story, hilarious art: House of Mystery #21

2010-01-09T09:58:00.001-05:00

I don't know if you are in the market for real estate in this tough economy, but today I am hoping to interest you in a house. Not just any house mind you, this House is special. Not a House of Cards. Not even a House of Pancakes. I'm talking about a House.....of MYSTERY. (Insert appropriately spooky musical sting here. I mean, if you want to.)

Vertigo's House of Mystery #21, by Sturges, Rossi, and Aragones, is both the starting point for a new story arc and a self-contained, done-in-one story. How is such a thing possible? Well, it's like this: the House of Mystery is one of those legendary places that can be accesed from many places and times. Currently, it is located in the equally magical Stormfort Goblin Market. Of course, for some people, once you actually get to the House of Mystery, leaving becomes much more difficult than arriving.

One thing that isn't difficult, however; is paying your tab. All you have to do to keep the drinks coming is to tell stories. The folks at the House are pretty starved for entertainment. If you can keep the stories flowing, you can drink all day. What a deal! I'd like to see you pull up to the drive-thru at Sonic and offer to pay for your lunch with the story about how you fell off the roof that one time. It may be a great story, but it's not gonna buy you a sammitch. Only at the House of Mystery!

So, this issue not only introduces readers to the regular residents of the House, and all their troubles, it also gives you the terrifying tale of a new patron. Wilfred Brimley lookalike, and old-timey cowboy, Blind Buck pays for his 100% beaver eyeball free sarsparilla with the story of how he and his outlaw partner Dandy Dirk Prescott faced off against a true "abomination." Featuring a creature that is best decribed as "Satan's pet grizzly sicking up a jellyfish," and hilarious art from the always amazing Sergio Aragones, this story is worth the price of admission all on its own. But, rest assured, the rest of the book is actually pretty darn good too.

So, if you're lucky enough to find the fabled entrance to Four Color Fantasies (of Mystery?), you should definitely belly-up to the bar and ask for a copy of House of Mystery #21. (We're not really in the real estate business. Sorry if the intro was misleading.) Not only is it a great comic, largely eyeball-free, but it is also guaranteed all week! Unfortunately, you have to buy it with real money, not a story. Though, if you have a great story, like the time you journeyed to the underworld and fought Cerberus for a jelly doughnut, you're welcome to share!

Chimichanga: An all-ages romp from Eric "The Goon" Powell

2009-12-27T09:43:00.001-05:00

Chimichanga! Not only is that a fun word to say, it is also a yummy treat. It's a well-known and widely accepted fact that bearded little girls like nothing better than a tasty chimichanga. Of course, the pursuit of tasty deliciousness is never easy, especially when you're an adorable litle tot who lives with the freak show in a traveling circus.

Chimichanga #1 is the demented, yet undeniably cute, brainchild of Eric "The Goon" Powell. If you don't already know Mr. Powell's work, you should feel a great sense of shame burning within you. Powell is a mad genius who has made the world a better place by writing and drawing brilliantly twisted tales of hillbillies, zombies, stink apes, and Peaches Valentine in The Goon. He has brought us tragic tales of a broken hero and inappropriate jokes involving greased pigs all in the same book. He's managed to win Eisner awards for the quality of his poop jokes! There's no denying it takes an uncommon mind at work to win an Eisner for poop jokes.

Chimichanga is what happens when such an amazingly disturbed mind decides to create a more kid-friendly, all-ages type book. The book stars a lovable little bearded girl who, as mentioned above, loves a good chimichanga. One day, on her pilgrimage to the chimichanga stand, she encounters a farty old witch who needs a lock of her luxurious beard hair for an unspeakable witchy potion. Our heroine agrees, but only in exchange for a weird egg vomited up by a vulture. (Yes, you read that right.)

On the way home her egg hatches, giving birth to a big, weird, hairy, ape-thing. Nothing too strange about that, right? In fact, our heroine's new friend becomes the new attraction that just might save the fading old circus: The Wild Chimichanga! Thank goodness, because the amazing two-eyed goat and Randy, the man with the strength of a slightly larger man, were just not drawing the crowds they once did!

Powell's work in this all-ages book is just as demented and off-beat as fans have come to expect from The Goon, but with a lot less violence and cussing. Chimichanga is a great way to warp the kids in your life, or just a great read for you, the discerning comic book reader. I bet you haven't read one single book all month that starred a bearded little girl, or a boy-faced fish, have you? Now Four Color Fantasies is giving you the perfect opportunity to correct that tragic oversight! Shake your chimichangas on over to the shop and try this comic while it is our guaranteed Book of the Week!

Two great tastes, Holmes and Zombies:

2009-12-12T09:29:00.002-05:00

"You got zombies in my Sherlock Holmes!"
"No, you got Sherlock Holmes in my zombie comic!"
Experience a marvel of the ages as the world's first consulting detective faces down the fearful hordes of the undead!

Whichever way you look at it, these ARE two great tastes that taste great together. Obviously, zombies have had a huge pop-culture resurgence in recent years, and I find it hard to think of that as anything other than a good thing. I mean, what story or setting isn't improved by the inclusion of decaying, flesh-munching monstrosities out to slurp down some tasty brains? I think the answer is self-evident.

Arthur Conan Doyle's Victorian detective has also been getting some much-deserved renewed attention lately. There are comics and books telling new tales of the world's most famous investigator everywhere you look. Oh, and there's a little movie coming soon starring Robert Downey Stark Jr. that will give modern audiences a whole new perspective on Holmes. It was really only a matter of time before someone was clever enough to put these two great ideas together. Luckily for discerning comics readers, it was Ian Edginton and Davide Fabbri!

Wildstorm's Victorian Undead is the book where it all happens. When the people of London, 1854, see an astounding light show in the sky, most think it is just a miracle to marvel at. Of course, we know that nothing good ever comes of mysterious lights in the sky. Sure enough, it's not long before the dead start to rise, and they're feeling bite-y.

Fifty years later, the undead have been forgotten, but Holmes and Watson are called in to investigate a mysterious death. Made all the more mysterious by the fact that the dead man seems all-too lively. In fact, he has a positively disturbing hunger for human flesh. I say!

Edginton's Holmes stays true to Doyle's immortal character, but the writer does not hesitate to bring some new elements to Holmes' world. With mind-control devices, evil automatons, and, of course, the undead, this version of Holmes lives in a slightly more fantastic London than Doyle ever imagined. Though these liberties may offend some purists, no writer can compete with Holmes' creator when it comes to traditional Holmes stories, so it is no bad thing to bring something new and different to this world. Fabbri's art perfectly combines the gaslit, urchin-filled, streets of London with meteors, robots, and brain-hungry corpses.

Though this comic is filled with mysteries and weird-happenings, the greatest mystey is why you haven't read it yet. The game is afoot my faithful friends! Shamble on down to Four Color Fantasies, and we'll allow you to purchase a copy of this mysterious marvel at no personal risk to yourself or your wallet. Your enjoyment is guaranteed! You won't waste a shilling, and you may flaunt your tasty, tasty brains without fear of reprisals or excessive appetites. Read Victorian Undead #1 today!

Female Noir: Stumptown #1

2009-11-21T17:58:00.003-05:00

Ever since Sherlock Holmes solved his first case, Private Investigators have taken center stage as the super-stars of crime fiction. They can do the jobs the cops can't touch. They can act on the fringes, or even well outside, of the law. As fictional PIs go, there tend to be two schools of thought: you've got your glamorous, smooth-talking action heroes with cool sports cars, or you've got your seedy, alcoholic, loner who just barely gets by and is only a step away from the darkness of the criminal underworld. The hero of Stumptown is much more on the seedy side.

Oni Press's Stumptown, by Greg Rucka and Matthew Southworth, stars Dexedrine Callisto Parios, Dex to her friends, an investigator who clearly has her share of human frailties. Based in Portland, Oregon, Dex seems to be trying her best to take care of herself and her special-needs younger brother, but she drinks too much, smokes too much, and she definitely gambles too much. Not the best recipe for success, by anyone's standard. Unless you're trying to find yourself homeless or on life-support, I suppose.

In Stumptown #1, her gambling has gotten Dex into a lot more debt than she can handle. Luckily, Sue-Lynn, who runs the show at the Whispering Winds casino, offers Dex a way out. All she has to do is track down Sue-Lynn's missing teenage grand-child, Charlotte. Unluckily, this gets Dex involved with some very bad people from Portland's criminal underworld. The kind of people who take you out to the lake for a swim. At night. After they've shot you a couple of times.

Stumptown feels a lot like Brian Bendis's much-missed Alias, with all the fantasy, super-hero elements removed. Greg Rucka has already made a name for himself as a mystery/crime novelist, and he brings that pedigree to his work here. Dex feels like a real person, and the mystery pulls you in to her world right away. What seems like the simple case of a runaway teenager is quickly revealed as the tip of a much darker, more dangerous, iceberg. (If they had icebergs in Portland, Oregon, which I'm pretty sure they do not.) Matthew Southworth's art perfectly captures this dark world, and his meticulously researched images of Portland lend this a very authentic feel.

So if you're in the mood to investigate some dark deeds in the middle of the night, or just want to read about someone else doing so while you watch from a safe distance, you should track down some leads to find yourself a copy of Stumptown #1. Honestly, we've done most of the work for you. Just head over to Four Color Fantasies and carefully investigate the shelves. You'll be reading this Book of the Week before you know it! No gambling required: it's guaranteed!

Hunter's Fortune #1

2009-11-07T09:25:00.001-05:00

Have you ever, in an idle moment, thought about how great it would be if some mysterious relative you never knew suddenly died and left you an enormous fortune? C'mon, you know you have. How about if we sweeten the deal by throwing in a gorgeous executor of the will, a femme fatale or two, and a mysterious archeological artifact? All that and more is up for the taking in Hunter's Fortune #1.

Boom Studio's Hunter's Fortune, by Andrew Crosby, Caleb Monroe, and artist Matt Cossin, tells the unlikely story of Hunter Prescott. Hunter is a typical young slacker. He's three months behind on his rent, his car has been towed, and if he moves in with his even more useless buddy Trip, they might be able to afford to get the electricity turned back on. Luckily for Hunter, just as he seems to be going through the worst day of his life, a mysterious, beautiful, and well-dressed woman shows up with a limo to whisk him away from all his troubles.

Of course, he soon finds himself with a whole NEW set of problems. Hunter's Uncle Max, who Hunter has never even heard of, has died and left Hunter everything. Everything, in this case, is an estate worth 650 million dollars. Good old Uncle Max! Hunter soon discovers that his wayward uncle was a treasure hunter of the highest order, and the only condition for keeping the vast esate left to him is that he has to carry on Max's work. By finding the one artifact that eluded him, King Arthur's sword, Excalibur. How hard could it be, right?

The elements of this story are nothing new: lost treasure, beautiful, but dangerous, women, coded journals, mysterious keys, an ancient arifact, and an everyman hero. However, these old tropes stick around for a reason. They're loads of fun! The story moves along very quickly, with the writers setting up everything we need to know about these characters as economically as possible. Max and his buddy Trip are instantly likable losers, and the cast of characters around them is put in place without a wasted line or panel. Cossin's character designs are unique and interesting, with just a hint of manga influence. Great art and a fun story make this book a must-read for fans of high adventure!

If you like Indiana Jones, Lara Croft, or (like me) can't stop playing Uncharted 2, you are sure to love Hunter's Fortune! Fortunately, you don't have to climb up a Tibetan mountain, or discover an ancient civilization to enjoy this book. In fact, you don't have to take any risks at all, because Hunter's Fortune #1 is guaranteed all week at Four Color Fantasies! Just look out for the boulder strewn, flaming, Path of Doom we installed by the front door. It seemed like a good idea at the time...

Amazing Characters, Quotable Lines, Gorgeous Art - Overdose on Sugarshock Today

2009-11-01T10:00:00.002-05:00

Sugarshock! No, it's not a delicious new breakfast cereal, OR the condition you might find yourself in after eating a box of Twinkies and washing them down with Mountain Dew. Sugarshock is the greatest, most rock-tacular, band on the planet, or even in the universe! (Second only to their arch-nemesis Sensitive Guy, anyway.) They make music that speaks to everyone, except for Vikings, and they will totally rock you, as soon as you work out the six or seven issues in subclause 72B that have to do with merchandising rights....

Sugarshock is also a comic from the amazing creative team of Joss Whedon and Fabio Moon. But not just any comic! Oh no! It's a hilarious, bizarre, amazing work of insane genius. And also the best thing Joss Whedon has ever written. And he's written a lot of great stuff, so, you know, Sugarshock is really, really, excellent. (Also, this comic would not be the pinnacle of graphic storytelling that it is without Fabio Moon's brilliant art!) This work for the ages was actually created to launch Dark Horse's online version of Dark Horse Presents, an anthology designed to show off the work of the best creators out there, giving them a chance to do unique and experimental work. Those of you who weren't paying attention may have missed this great story when it first appeared but, luckily for you, Dark Horse has collected the whole thing into one awesome One-Shot Wonder!

So, who is Sugarshock, you ask? The members of this amazing quartet are Dandelion, Wade, L'Lihdra, and Robot Phil. Dandelion is a punk rock girl who may or may not belong to a secret government agency that may or may not authorize her to use deadly force when necessary. She also has a theory about Lincoln that would truly shake the world's historians, and she really, REALLY, hates Vikings. Wade is an incredible drummer, an alien princess, and has a dangerous tendency to go through groupies at an alarming rate. L'Lihdra is Wade's mystically enhanced bodyguard, and a deadpan guitar goddess. And Robot Phil is a robot. Named Phil. He likes to ride shotgun, and doesn't think it is cool that Dandelion keeps threatening her friends with deadly force.

In this Sugarshock One-Shot, our heroes must face the musical threats of Sensitive Guy, AND the universe-wide Battle of the Bands! You can't miss this comic, because, if you do, you will never find out the fate of the Earth. Or the fate of Wade's groupies. Or the fate of Robot Phil's legs. Will Dandelion unleash deadly force? Or the titanic power of the Saddest Song in the World? What's up with Abraham Lincoln, and those dirty, dirty, Vikings? There's only one way to find out the answer to all these questions! Read Sugarshock!

So, don't be a Viking. Head on over to Four Color Fantasies today, and pick up a copy (or two!) of Sugarshock, while it is our guaranteed Book of the Week. If you like great comics, you will love this book. It has an amazing cast of characters, a load of hilariously quotable lines, and gorgeous art. If you don't love it, you might as well hang out with a bunch of soulless squirrels. Is that what you want? To hang out with squirrels? Stupid squirrels.

Fight for Freedom of Speech the Fun Way: Liberty Comics #2

2009-10-24T09:56:00.002-05:00

One of the best things about living in America is that you have the freedom to read whatever you want. You get to make the decisions about what is worthwhile or entertaining for you. Nobody can tell you that a book is too political, too controversial, too blasphemous, too sexy, or too violent for you to read. You get to think for yourself. Hooray for freedom of speech and freedom of thought!

Unfortunately, we don't always get to keep freedoms without a fight. There is always some chowderhead who wants to think for you. Someone who decides that this or that book just isn't right, so you shouldn't be able to read it. Why, some books might give people funny ideas, and we don't want funny ideas, right? The list of great books that have been banned at one time or another in our free country is pretty staggering. (I won't even try to list them all here, but you can check out http://www.banned-books.com/ for more information.)

What you may not realize is that comics face a greater threat of censorship and lawsuits than books without pictures. It may be because pictures can evoke much stronger reactions than just words on the page, but I think it is more likely that ignorant people still make the ridiculous assumption that comic books are strictly a children's medium, so anything challenging or shocking in a comic or graphic novel MUST have been created to to harm children. There are many cases from the last few years alone in which publishers, creators, store owners, and readers have found themselves arrested and charged for creating, publishing, selling, or simply reading, a comic book that someone else found offensive. If you are a reader, a small shop owner, or a struggling creator, a charge like that can have devastating consequences. Fortunately, that is where the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund comes in.

The CBLDF raises money to support people in the comic book community who find themselves targeted by those who want to stifle our freedom. They hire lawyers for defendants who can't afford to defend themselves and provide publicity that brings much needed attention to censorship cases that might otherwise slide under the radar. They do good work that helps people who have been victimized by those who want to prevent free speech. If you want to know more, you should check out their website at http://www.cbldf.org/index.shtml Not only is there a lot more information there, you can also check out endorsements from famous CBLDF supporters like Neil Gaiman and Jeff Smith, so the site is well worth a little of your time.

At this point, you may be wondering what this all has to do with the Book of the Week. Wonder no more! There are many ways to support the CBLDF, but the most fun and easy way is to simply buy this week's guaranteed book: Liberty Comics #2. This anthology comic is loaded with great stories and art from creators like Jason Aaron, Ben Templesmith, Mike Allred, Paul Pope, Paul Grist, Neil Gaiman, Jim Lee, and many, many others. These stories are all in some way about freedom to read, write, or think what you want, and the book's sales help raise money for the CBLDF. You can help out AND read some great comics at the same time! That's a deal that you just can't pass up.

Celebrate the fact that you have the freedom to come out to Four Color Fantasies and buy Liberty Comics #2. You can choose between the awesome Tim Sale Free Speech cover or the amazing John Romita Jr. Kick-Ass cover, but either way you need to try this comic. There is also a can for CBLDF donations by the register, so you won't have to carry home any annoying, rattling, change. Man, we're good to you!

Get Hooked on Card: Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow

2009-10-19T09:54:00.001-05:00

In history of human warfare, when things get really, truly, desperate, we start throwing children into combat. When things get to that level of desperation, when we are willing to sacrifice anything and anyone for a chance to stave off defeat, the final battle is already on the horizon. If this pattern holds true in the future of Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game series, then the human race may well be fighting its last war.

The alien Formics have kicked humanity's butt twice, and now they are preparing for one massive, final, attack. The best hope now is to recruit the very best of Earth's children, and train them to be an unstoppable fighting force. Andrew "Ender" Wiggin is one of the best of the best. He excels at strategy and war games, and he quickly becomes one of the International Fleet's brightest stars. Of course, success in games does not mean Ender will be able to save the world when the time comes for the real thing. If he is going to succeed, he's going to need a lot of help.

Ender's Shadow is a companion series to the main Ender's Game books. This series shines a spotlight on some of the troops under Ender's command. This book not only gives these supporting characters a chance to shine, it also allows us to see how Ender influences those around him. His leadership does not offer love and kisses, but it does force the incredibly young soldiers of the International Fleet to become the best fighting force they can be.

The first issue focuses on the very young, very small, Bean. Bean may be tiny, but he has the fastest reflexes around. Rather than babying him, Ender forces him to live up to his reputation. Or to fail horribly in the attempt. This series does a great job making kids like Bean feel real and three dimensional. It is hard to imagine what it would take to turn pre-adolescent kids into a force that can defend the world against a terrifying alien opponent, but Ender's Shadow puts you right there with these kids.

If you have never read the Ender's Game novels, or even any of the comics, Ender's Shadow #1 is a good place to start. It has action, pathos, cool battle suits, and all the pre-teen drama you could ever ask for in a book about sweeping space battles. All you have to do to try it out is make your way safely to base (AKA Four Color Fantasies), and plunk down a few measly dollars. If you don't like it, we'll guarantee your money back! Though we make no guarantees about your ability to slip past enemy lines without being ambushed.

Hauntingly Good: Hector Plasm: De Mortuis

2009-10-04T09:51:00.000-05:00

Well, somehow it's October again. The spookiest month of the year! As the wind grows colder and the days get shorter, tradition has it that the dead get restless. As the days hurtle toward All Hallows' Eve, there are bumps in the night and eyes peering from the shadows. If all this has you a little bit spooked, you need a little help from Hector Plasm!

Hector Plasm: De Mortuis is a collection of short stories, by Benito Cereno and Nate Bellegarde, featuring the eponymous ghost hunter, demon slayer, and all-around undead handler. Hector was special from the moment he was born with a caul over his head. This fateful birth put him immediately on the path to become a Benandante, one who communicates with the dead.

Of course, not all of the dead are bad news. Helpful spirits train young Hector in the ways of the Benandante, and prepare him for the difficult life of a wandering ghost hunter. As an adult, Hector wanders the world, accompanied by Sinner and Saint (A couple of largely useless spirits!), helping both people and ghosts, wherever and whenever he can. It is not an easy life, but it IS action-packed and occasionally hilarious!

Hector's world really has everything! Insightful storytelling, scary haints, intense action, and laugh-out-loud moments. These tales will certainly appeal to fans of Mike Mignola and Guy Davis, but they have a unique charm all their own. Each story stands on its own, and each one is amazing in its own way. The stories are excellent, the art is stylish and spooky, and the dead are awfully darn creepy. The creators are clearly hoping to bring readers more from Hector in the future, and I sure hope they get the chance.

If you're feeling all Halloween-y, and want to revel in some supernatural comic book fun, you better gather up your good-luck charms and head over to Four Color Fantasies to snag a copy of this scary Book of the Week. Not only are you guaranteed your money back if you don't like it, we'll throw in the additional guarantee that none of our copies are actually haunted or accompanied by supernatural manifestations of any kind. Hector Plasm: De Mortuis: it will NOT age you ten years in 20 seconds, and that's a promise!

Not in the Doghouse: Beasts of Burden #1 Delivers

2009-09-20T14:06:00.002-05:00

Who is the last line of defense against the Lovecraftian horrors that go "squish" in the dark? Who will save us from the unspeakable powers of darkness and despair? Who will be there to put a stop to the Witch Cats and Cannibal Frogs? It isn't the Ghostbusters. It isn't even Hellboy and the B.P.R.D. The defense of the human race is all up to Rex, Ace, and Orphan! Don't worry, we're in good paws.

That's right, the Eisner Award-winning team of Evan (Milk and Cheese) Dorkin and Jill (Scary Godmother) Thompson are back with the squad of heroic neighborhood pets they introduced in the Dark Horse Book of (Insert scary noun here.) anthology series. Dark Horse has wisely seen fit to give this amazing duo and their adorable, yet ferocious, animal monster-hunters their own series: Beasts of Burden. It's about time these touching, funny, exciting tales got the spotlight all to themselves!

Beasts of Burden #1: The Gathering Storm takes place in the picturesque town of Burden Hill. A seemingly quaint and lovely town, Burden Hill's green fields and white picket fences harbor some terrifying secrets. It seems like there is always something weird lurking in the shadows, so the neighborhood dogs and cats have formed a team of paranormal investigators to put the bite on evil when it rears its ugly head. Craziness can strike at any moment, as it does on a clear summer morning when the Beasts suddenly find themselves pelted by a rain of frogs. Even worse, these cannibal frogs quickly start scarfing each other down and growing at an alarming rate. It isn't long before frogs are not enough to feed the aggregate horror lurking in the woods....

Though Dorkin is best known for biting, satirical, humor, he gives these noble pets humanity that tugs at the heart, while always leaving room for a laugh or two. Thompson's beautiful painted art is a joy to behold, and makes every critter in the book a distinctive and loveable (furry) star. If you have any kind of a soft spot for animals, there is no way you won't immediately feel attached to these four-pawed protagonists. But don't make the mistake of dismissing Beasts of Burden as a cutesy animal comic for kids. These are intense and involving tales that will capture the attention of any reader, especially fans of supernatural scares. The big bad in this first issue, and the gruesome way it is dispatched, would give even tough guys like Hellboy and Constantine reason to pause.

Though these characters have appeared before, the first issue gives you eveything you need to jump in and enjoy. (Even better, Dark Horse has made all of the original stories available, for free, on their website!) The first issue offers an amazing, complete, story, but leaves a few dark hints that will leave readers anxious for the next issue. We're so sure that you will love Beasts of Burden #1, that it comes with a money back guarantee all week at Four Color Fantasies. Keep an eye out for suspicious frogs, and be sure to wipe your paws before you come into the store!

Cute, Undead: Lenore #1

2009-08-08T15:59:00.003-05:00

Y'know, most people don't generally like to play with dead things. I mean, there are SOME people who do, but they usually need therapy, or end up in prison, so this behavior isn't generally encouraged. However, I think we can forgive a little weirdness when the dead thing in question is an adorable cute little dead girl. If you're wondering how such a terrible thing could ever be cute, then you obviously haven't met Roman Dirge's Lenore!

Lenore has been around for a while but, thanks to Titan Books, she is bursting onto the scene anew, and she's bringing the shocking secret of her terrifying origin with her! Lenore is, as I said, a cute little girl who happens to be dead. Or maybe undead. I mean, she does walk around and talk and stuff, which dead people don't normally tend to do. She hangs out with her creepy little friends, and stuff happens. Maybe they breakdance, or throw horseshoes, or fill their pockets with evil hatchets and stuff. Y'know, like you do.

In the all-new, all-color, Lenore #1, the idyllic existence of Lenore and company is threatened when a dark visitor from the past shows up to exact vengeance on our heroine. Lenore's origin is also revealed for the first time! I won't give too much away here, but it involves embalming fluid, an empty belly pooch, and noodle arms. Now you must discover the truth for yourself!

Honestly, Lenore isn't really about the plot anyway, but about crazy, random, weird stuff happening. You never know what to expect in the dark, absurd world of Lenore. The sight gags, word-play, and macabre punchlines fly fast and furiously at the reader. And they have sharp edges, so beware! The art and story combine perfectly to give a wonderful glimpse into Roman Dirge's messed-up head. (It's a great place to visit, but...) This issue also features some other Dirge creations, such as the tragic Parasol Princess and the awesome Samurai Sloth, so you may enter his world via the portal of your choice.

If you like the weird works of Tim Burton, or the Addams Family, or Johnny the Homicidal Maniac, then you will find yourself quickly falling in love with this cute little dead girl. Try out Lenore #1 now, while it is Four Color Fantasies' guaranteed Book of the Week! if you're really lucky, we might even throw in a sweet Balloon Cobra. (OK, we won't, but you can always dream.)

Old-fashioned, new-wave chills: Creepy

2009-07-31T15:51:00.000-05:00

Hey kids! You like to be scared, don't you? So naturally, you'd like a comic that brings you tales of the horrible, the supernatural, and the just plain weird, right? I mean, who can pass up the comic book equivalent of sitting on the lap of a scary old man, who smells a bit, and hearing stories that plumb the depths of human awfulness? If you said, "Not me!" then you are the perfect audience for Dark Horse's revival of an old favorite: Creepy!

The original Creepy, from Warren Publishing, ran from 1964-1983. This horror anthology, hosted by the gruesome Uncle Creepy, brought readers a variety of stories calculated to creep them out and keep them from sleeping soundly. To bypass the restrictions of the Comics Code, Creepy was published as a magazine, rather than a comic. The impressive run of the original featured work by many of the greats, guys like Frank Frazetta, Al Williamson, and Alex Toth.

Dark Horse's new Creepy is set to carry on the unsettling tradition of the original in grand, if disturbing, style. Uncle Creepy is back in fine form as he takes the reins once again to lead us through the darkest corridors of the human mind. This first issue has five new tales of unsettling horror, and one classic reprint from the Creepy vaults. If I say too much about the stories, I may rob you of the chill you will feel when you unearth them for yourself, but I can tell you that these fetid fictions are brought to you by the likes of Joe Harris, Dan Braun, Jason Shawn Alexander, Angelo Torres, Hilary Barta, and many others too terrifying to list. There's even a piece in here by the nightmarish Bernie Wrightson! To throw a final shovelful of dirt on the grave, the whole disturbing package is wrapped in a wonderfully awful portrait of the entire Creepy clan by the amazing Eric Powell.

If you like scary tales that chill the cockles of your heart, and maybe offer up some heaping helpings of righteous retribution to some deserving victims, you'll find something to love in the return of this classic horror anthology. If, however, you were hoping Uncle Creepy would reveal his famous recipe for Cat Brain Soup, you will be a little disapointed. Maybe next issue...

Anyway, don't miss out! Lurch over to Four Color Fantasies today and hand over a few moldy bills to try out Creepy #1. It is our guaranteed Book of the Week, so you have nothing to lose but your sanity. (And really, you weren't using that anyway.) Of course, if you don't try it, Uncle Creepy may have to send around a few of his more "unsettling" family members to persuade you, and I really don't think you want that.

Hilarious Hilarity: Deadpool: Merc with a Mouth #1

2009-07-02T10:36:00.002-05:00

Greetings and salutations, gentle readers! This is Wade Wilson, AKA Deadpool, here to talk comics with you cool cats. What? You're claiming to be Deadpool now? That's just lame. Who do you think you're kidding? I am too Deadpool! Stop embarassing me in front of the readers. You're embarassing yourself, bucko. It's nothing to do with me. Well, cut it out. Why do you always do this? I just want to talk about this week's Book of the Week, so leave me alone. Fine, but you are no Wade Wilson. That's all I'm saying.

So anyway, most of you probably already know that Deadpool, the Merc with a Mouth, is Marvel's all-time greatest character. He's the best there is at what he does, and what he does is be awesome. He's a suave cat who's a hit with the ladies. He's the greatest fighter the world has ever known. He's the guy who can get any job done, no matter how tough. He can heal from any injury, no matter how horrific and painful. He once kicked Captain America in his joy department. Oh, and he loves a good chimichanga, so he's a cheap date ladies! Dude, get to the point already!

OK, OK, the point. The fine folks at Marvel Comics have finally come to appreciate just how intensely amazing ol' Wade is, so, with absolutely no coercion at all, they've decided to launch a second ongoing Deadpool title appropriately named Deadpool: Merc with a Mouth. NO coercion? What are we calling that whole hostage-taking, police standoff on Tuesday then? Shut up! Never speak of that again. Anyway, this incredible new book is written by talented writing guy Victor Gischler, with pretty pictures from excellent drawing guy, and awesome name afficionado, Bong Dazo. The best part is the sexy, yet sensitive, way he draws me- Deadpool! I thought we settled this! You're NOT Deapool. Other great things drawn in this issue include dinosaurs, cave men, Johnny Weismuller, and AIM scientist Dr. Betty. Man, that Dr. Betty is a hottie. She's got a whole naughty librarian thing going on that... Hey! Back to the point "Wade."

Anyway, in this first issue I..er..Deadpool, has to solve a problem no one else can handle. Like being shot from orbit into the savage land without the benefit of a parachute, or airbrakes, or any other sort of slowing down the rapidly burning up pod equipment, to get his mitts on a top secret bio-weapon that those bad boys from AIM and Hydra are both after. If he succeeds, AIM has promised Wade 2 million big ones AND a jar of their best premium honey. Mmmm, honey. Man, that stuff goes on anything. Moving on!

So if you like manly action, hilarious hilarity, extreme violence, and guys in beekeeper suits, you will LOVE Deadpool: Merc with a Mouth #1. Let me just jump in here to point out that these guys do an awesome job presenting Deadpool's schizophrenic world view. The voices in his head and his "Deadpool Vision" come across as a natural part of the narrative. Believe me, it is much funnier than this idiot's attempt at duplicating the same idea. Not only is this first issue 100% cool beans, but your 4 bucks also gets you a complete classic Deadpool reprint, by Joe Kelly and Ed McGuiness, in which our hero totally kicks the Hulk's big, green, rear end. All that, AND your satisfaction is guaranteed! Now get down to Four Color Fantasies and buy this book, before someone (and I'm kind of implying that it will be you) gets hurt. Sorry about this folks, he thinks he's funny. Sigh.

The Rebirth of a Classic Hero: Buck Rogers #1

2009-06-29T15:18:00.002-05:00

In the 24th1/2 century, Duck Dodgers must track down the last element of Illudium Phosdex, the shaving cream atom, and then...oh, wait a minute. Dynamite's new comic is actually a new take on Buck Rogers. Apparently Daffy Duck isn't in it at all. Well, that's embarrassing. I'll start again.

There has been a trend lately in movies, TV, and comics to take awesome old properties and ideas and slather on a coat of 21st century gloss to bring these properties to a new audience. Some of these new takes have been excellent, like the new Star Trek film, and some have been egregiously horrible ruinations of the original property. I'm looking at you Land of the Lost and Transformers. Dynamite has decided to join in on the fun with their latest effort: Buck Rogers, by Scott Beatty and Carlos Rafael.

If you're a fan of any of the previous versions of Buck Rogers, you will recognize many of the elements of this book. Captain Anthony "Buck" Rogers is a daredevil test pilot, who has devoted his life to developing a new form of Gravity Drive that will revolutionize space flight. Something goes wrong on a test flight and Buck ends up crash-landing in the far future. He's pulled from the wreck by an "angel" in a black flight suit named Colonel Wilma Deering, and immediately forced to cope with being thrown into a world that is not his own. If you never heard of Buck Rogers until today, you still know everything you need to know to enjoy this book.

The story is fast moving, with plenty of action, but readers still get to know Buck as a full-fledged character. The art is excellent, with dynamically designed characters. Though if you still aren't sure about whether or not you should pick up this book, just let me say this: in the first issue, Buck and Wilma have to face off against an enormous, talking, cyborg grizzly bear armed with a huge blaster. Oh, and he's got an eye patch. If that doesn't seal the deal, I'm not sure what's wrong with you. Maybe you don't like comics.

So, despite the lack of Daffy Duck's dashing space hero (though Dynamite couldn't really go wrong with a Duck Dodgers comic), Buck Rogers #1 is a great book. This is your chance to be in on the rebirth of a classic hero, at no personal risk. Buck Rogers #1 is guaranteed all week as Four Color Fantasies' Book of the Week. And let me reiterate: CYBORG GRIZZLY BEAR!

2009-06-19T15:46:00.000-05:00

Everyone loves a mystery, right? Of course, not just any old mystery will do the trick. "The Puzzling Disappearance of the Missing Sock" would probably not grab most people's attention. (Except obsessive hosiery fanatics. Those people have issues.) There are hundreds, if not thousands, of fictional detecting, mystery-solving types out there, but the greatest, most iconic detective of all time has to be Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. Thanks to the good people at Dynamite Entertainment, the great detective is back on the case!

Even if you've never read Conan Doyle's brilliant stories, you probably know something about Holmes. He lives in Victorian London, at 221B Baker Street. He plays the violin. He solves crimes with the aid of his worthy partner Doctor Watson. He is an eccentric, obsessive, man, whose attention to minute details often leads him to discover the most bizarre, insoluble, secrets of his world. Of course, if you haven't read any of the Holmes stories, you should get yourself to a bookstore ASAP. (AFTER you come by Four Color Fantasies and pick up this comic, obviously.)

Dynamite's Sherlock Holmes, written by Leah Moore and John Reppion, with art by Aaron Campbell, gives readers an all-new tale of Holmes and Watson. The story will intrigue readers unaware of the intricacies of Holmes' canon, but will be an even greater treat for those who are already familiar with literature's most famous detective. A bombing in London's East End shocks the city, but becomes even more worrying when a letter sent to Sir Samuel Henry suggests that there will be more bombs, including one in his home. Sir Henry, very sensibly, summons Sherlock Holmes to assist the police in their investigations.

Unfortunately, when Holmes arrives on the scene, events do not proceed according to plan. The house and grounds are swarming with Inspector Lestrade's men. Holmes and Watson arrive shortly before the bomb threat's zero hour. After observing the scene, Holmes heads to the ailing Sir Henry's room to assure him of his safety. However; when a shot rings out, and Holmes is found standing over Sir Henry's body, with a smoking gun in his hand, things take a turn towards the unexpected.

This authors of this tale clearly have a great deal of respect for Conan Doyle's work, and their story could fit right in with any of the original tales. At the same time, putting Holmes on the wrong side of the law gives this story a unique twist. Campbell's art perfectly captures the gaslit, foggy, streets of Victorian London, which are as much a part of Holmes' appeal as the man himself.

With a new movie on the way (Starring Iron Man, no less!), and this new comic on the stands, now is the perfect time to become a Sherlock Holmes fan. It doesn't take a deductive genius to see that you should pick up Sherlock Holmes #1 & 2 this week at Four Color Fantasies. Don't wait for a mysterious invitation, written in code, with invisible ink, to drop through your door. Try this book now, while it is guaranteed!

The Story Behind One of Marvel's Most Powerful Super-Villians: Dark Reign: The Hood #1

2009-06-06T09:15:00.002-05:00

Back when Parker Robbins first appeared in his own series, he was just a small-time thug. Parker wasn't really evil, he just grew up on the wrong side of the tracks, and didn't really know what to do with his life. He tried to take care of his family the only way he knew how-by stealing stuff! He was a complete nobody until the day that one of his criminal escapades landed him with the hooded cape that would give him supernatural powers and a new name: The Hood!

If you've been reading any of Marvel's Avengers titles, you already know that The Hood has come a long way since his humble beginnings. He's built the largest, most successful super-human criminal cartel the Marvel U has ever seen! Usually, any group of super-villains falls apart as soon as their massive egos collide, but The Hood has been able to show them another way. By working together, these super-baddies get equipment, support, and intelligence that they could never maintain on their own. If they get caught, they are quickly busted out. Evidence of their crimes is cleaned up by experts. Best of all, when some nosy super-hero tries to ruin their fun, The Hood's people have a whole lot of muscle backing them up!

Dark Reign: The Hood #1,by Jeff Parker and Kyle Hotz, offers another look at the man under the hood. In front of his men, Parker presents himself as calm, assured, and always in control. Whenever he shows up to thwart the Avengers, he seems to be a terrifying and unstoppable force. In this limited series, we see that the powerful crime boss is not that far removed from the hesitant, conflicted, thug he used to be. Has he become too cavalier about killing? Is he really in control of the demonic forces that give him his powers?

The Hood occupies a precarious position in the "We love Norman Osborn" Marvel Universe. The true heroes, many of whom have been driven underground by Osborn, oppose him in his bid for power. Osborn, with his Dark Avengers and H.A.M.M.E.R., is certainly not happy about some "freelance" villain building a power base without his permission. Not only is Parker stuck between these two powerful enemies, he also has to worry about keeping the demonic powers of the underworld, like his "buddy" Dormammu, happy.

If you want to know the story behind one of Marvel's most powerful super-villains, check out Dark Reign: The Hood #1! It's a steal at $3.99, but you can try it risk free all week because it is Four Color Fantasies' guaranteed Book of the Week! If we all work together, everybody benefits. I think The Hood is onto something here.

Is this real life or just a fantasy? The Unwritten shoots for an answer

2009-05-31T15:09:00.003-05:00

It's an age-old question: What if the characters beloved by millions stepped from their fictional pages to roam the earth? What if their fictional blood-feuds became part of reality? How would the fans react? How would the characters themselves react? Would the real world be a match for their fictional magic come true?

The Unwritten asks these questions through the character of Tommy, excuse me, Tom Taylor whose father Wilson Taylor mysteriously disappeared after penning the adventures of Tommy Taylor (who Tom admits bears strikingly resemblance to a certain Harry Potter). Tom wants to separate himself from the fictional character his father based on him (again, admittedly much like A.A. Milne's Christopher Robin). However, Tom is obligated to continue his father's legacy through marketing the movies based on his books and appearing at book signings and readings. Tom seems angry that his father left him, not believing that he just disappeared, and Tom is clearly searching for his own identity. But, his troubles really begin in Tommy Taylor and the Bogus Identity, when a fan appears at a panel discussion and questions whether Wilson Taylor ever had a son. Suddenly, everything about Tom Taylor seems manufactured and rumors are immediately printed that he is indeed a fake. Of course, fans demand the imposter's blood and seem about to get it when Count Ambrosio, who is either a nut-job fan or Tommy Taylor's fictional nemesis come to life, kidnaps Tom.

The cover by Sandman: Dream Hunters artist Yuko Shimizu is one of the most intriguing I've seen as Tom Taylor is held in a maelstrom of words spilling into (or is it out of?) a book. The internal art by Peter Gross evokes an old-fashioned style that helps add to the mystical feel and the story by Mike Carey immediately grabs the reader. Carey's alliterative names, Tommy Taylor and pal, Sue Sparrow, are evocative of a simpler comic’s era, but the mature readers label indicates that these stories will tread beyond the innocent. The team behind the multiple Eisner-nominated Lucifer cast a spell on me with their creative panel design and subtle dialogue.

Don't wait for Count Ambrosio to cast a spell on you! Take your magic carpet, I mean, drive your Toyota hybrid to Four Color Fantasies today where The Unwritten #1 is this week's guaranteed Book of the Week.

A Unique Story by Waid and Oosterveer: The Unknown

2009-05-27T15:06:00.002-05:00

Everybody loves a mystery. Of course, some mysteries are more mysterious than others. Who was Jack the Ripper? Where do the socks that vanish in the dryer go? Why do people watch reality TV? All vexing questions, but none as mysterious as The Unknown! (Cue ominous organ music and maniacal laughter.)

Alright, The Unknown is actually Mark Waid's new 4 issue series from Boom! Studios, but it is pretty mysterious in its own right. The series stars Catherine "Cat" Allingham (Possibly named after mystery writer Margery Allingham?), America's Greatest Detective. Cat has a brain that always moves at full tilt, casually solving the mysteries that thwart the lesser minds of the police departments of the world. She doesn't have much patience for the slow pace the rest of us meander along at, so she can be a little abrasive at times. Oh, she also has 6 months to live, and seems to have a creepy spectre of death watching over her. Like you do.

After quickly solving another tedious case that is really beneath her notice, Cat runs into newly unemployed bouncer, and fan of her work, James Doyle (Named for Arthur Conan Doyle? Mr. Waid has been reading some mysteries, hasn't he?). Doyle is a hulking mass of muscle, but he also has a knack for reading people and an eye for details. The perfect sidekick for the detective on the go!

Cat and Doyle hop on a jet to Europe, where we get to the real puzzle, one that even Cat may not be able to solve. The Faderbauer brothers are super-genius physicists, and may be the victims of the world's first Quantum Crime. They built a box that is beyond priceless, meant to be the most accurate scale ever conceived. This scale could measure a trillionth of a trillionth of a gram. Of course, the experiment does not go as expected, havok is wreaked, and the box vanishes, possibly teleported away by some nefarious quantum thief. Of course, the real question is: just what exactly was in this box? What were the Faderbauers measuring? Cat has some unnerving suspicions...

If you read comics, you probably know Mark Waid's work. He can always be relied on to deliver an excellent story, and The Unknown is no exception. With amazing art from Minck Oosterveer, and a unique story to be told, The Unknown is all set to be a hit! The only real mystery is why you haven't bought a copy of the first issue yet. Maybe it's because you didn't know that this comic is Four Color Fantasies guaranteed Book of the Week! Now that you know, investigate the quickest way to get to the shop, and give The Unknown #1 a try. Case closed! (Though I still don't understand why people watch reality TV.)

Over-the-top violence drives The Destroyer

2009-05-14T15:04:00.001-05:00

Keene Marlow is a pretty typical old man. Sure, he may come across as a little gruff and grumpy at times, but he's a loving husband, a great father, and he's very sweet with his grandkids. Oh, and he can rock a pair of suspenders like nobody's business. Unfortunately, like many men his age, Grandpa Marlow has heart trouble. He has to watch his sodium and cholesterol, and he has to be pretty careful when he's out jumping off exploding buildings and tearing bad guys heads off as the incredibly violent hero The Destroyer!

Destroyer is a limited series from Marvel's MAX imprint, written by Robert "Walking Dead" Kirkman with art from Cory Walker. These guys have collaborated before, to awesome results, and their work here won't disappoint their fans. The Destroyer is a mostly forgotten (Sorry Destroyer fans! I'd never heard of him.) Golden Age character from Stan Lee. Kirkman approached this project as if the character has been active, appearing in his own monthly series, ever since the '40s. By showing us the aged, cantankerous hero he has become, Kirkman and Walker have made Destroyer work for a new audience, without having to "re-imagine" him.

Of course, the MAX imprint allows them to make Destroyer over-the-top in a way that Stan could never have gotten away with durring the Golden Age. When Keene takes on the villainous hired goons of HORDE, he literally punches through a guy's head and leaves the rest of the HORDE minions in similarly mangled, very dead, states. He's also got an awesome repertoire of cranky old man banter, most of which can't be shared here. He's a salty one, that Grandpa Marlow.

When our hero finds out his own heart is going to be the villain that finally takes him down, he decides that he has to put some things in order before he dies. For most grandpas, that might involve making some adjustments to the will or deciding which grandkid gets your watch, for Keen Marlow it means tracking down and killing (with violence!) any bad guys who might cause trouble once he's not around to stop them. And he starts things off with a visit to his imprisoned older brother, Dicky....

If you like your comics with a heaping helping of ridiculous violence (I know I do!), then you will love Destroyer! Kirkman and Walker are on top form here, and they made me love this character I'd never heard of within the first two pages. Luckily, you can try it out with absolutely no risk of serious head trauma, because Destroyer #1 is this week's guaranteed Book of the Week at Four Color Fantasies. And, if you're really good, maybe we'll throw in a half-melted butterscotch candy with some pocket lint on it.

Looking to start your young one's comics addiction? The Incredibles is a great start

2009-04-29T15:02:00.000-05:00

I'm going to make an assumption here: if you are reading this, you like comics. If you're like me, your love of comics started when you were just a wee nipper. Most of us started with the kiddie stuff before we moved up to the serious business of super-hero comics. I read comics from Harvey, Disney, and Archie. The choices for kid's comics in those days were endless, though Donald Duck, Mighty Mouse, and Richie Rich were my favorites.

I still love comics, but most of the books I read today wouldn't really be appropriate, or even intelligible, for kids. Marvel and DC, understanding that we need to introduce today's kids to the fun of comics and reading, have made some admirable attempts at creating all-ages friendly comics. Unfortunately, they are still just giving kids another version of their Marvel and DC properties. If you want to introduce the younger readers in your life to comics, you still don't have a whole lot to choose from. Luckily, help is on the way thanks to Boom! Kids.

The Incredibles #1, by Mark Waid and Marcio Takara, is a great example of quality comics for kids. Any kid with even the faintest interest in super-heroes has seen the popular Pixar film in which the incredible Parr family deal with the typical ordeals of family life while also beating the stuffing out of evil-doers of all shapes and sizes. Boom!'s new limited series perfectly captures the feel of the movie, while taking the Parrs on an all-new adventure, with great writing and awesome art!

The story begins when the Parr family is enjoying a peaceful family outing to the zoo. As expected, the day takes a turn towards super-villain punching when the robotic Futurian shows up to destroy humanity by devolving the zoo animals into a crazy army of mixed-up dinosaurs. Of course, stopping rampaging dinosaurs is only the beginning of a typical day for the Incredibles. Missing devolution bombs, new neighbors, and Mr. Incredible's missing powers all add up to a packed day for this super-family.

If you're looking to share your love of comics with the young uns (or if you are just young at heart!), The Incredibles #1 is a great place to start! With comics based on The Muppet Show and a whole host of other Pixar properties on the way, there will be a whole lot of great books to choose from. It's great to see engaging, intelligent, quality material that just might make kids pick up a comic and read, so try The Incredibles now, while it is Four Color Fantasies' guaranteed Book of the Week.

Ellis puts it in gear with Ignition City #1

2009-04-18T14:59:00.000-05:00

What if all the high-flying, sci-fi, space heroes of the '40s and '50s were real? And what if those real heroes lived in a real world where politics and international conflict took all the fun out of being a space hero? Where do the space heroes go to die? Why, they go to Ignition City where all these questions (and more!) are answered!

Avatar's Ignition City #1, by Warren Ellis and Gianluca Pagliarani, drops us into a 1956 where the great age of space exploration is rapidly dying. All those brave rocket men and women shooting off into space brought nothing but trouble for the Earth, so the world's governments have shut them down. Space launches are prohibited almost everywhere and, where they are allowed, they are strictly under government control and supervision. Ignition City, an artificial island covered with launch gantries and landing pads, is the last place on the planet where spacecraft can still launch, but it is a sad remnant of it's former self. It really is the place where the washed up space heroes go to drink themselves to death, wallowing in memories of their former glory.

When young adventuress and frustrated space explorer Mary Raven finds out her beloved father (former space hero Arthur "Rock" Raven) has died there, she knows she has to do whatever it takes to get into Ignition City and find whatever scraps of her father's life he left behind. It is a sad place, filled with washed-up heroes, drunken failures, and petty bureaucrats. It quickly becomes very obvious to Mary that she isn't going to like anything she finds on this bleak, hopeless island.

Most of you have probably heard of this Ellis fellow by now, so you know that nobody does dark humor quite like he does. (Well, maybe Garth Ennis.) This is not for the faint of heart! Ellis puts his hilariously foul-mouthed characters through their paces, giving readers the scoop on what happens to your poop when you live off of futuristic food pills, how to deal with alien lizard diarrhea, and what would really happen to a heroic space pilot who finds himself 500 years in his own past. Plus, the ridiculously violent bar bouncer Vanderkirk demonstrates the intestine-steaming effects of a space ray-gun on the human body. All this in just the first issue! Could you possibly expect more entertainment than that for four measly space dollars? I think not!

Fuel up the old rocket pack and junior bird-man your way on over to Four Color Fantasies, space cadet! You can try out life on Ignition City for yourself all week, with no risk to life and limb and no need for alcohol poisoning. Just watch out for the puddles of space lizard poop. That stuff NEVER comes off of your shoes.

A Dark Psychoanalysis: Irredeemable #1

2009-04-13T07:30:00.002-05:00

What happens when a super-hero goes bad? And I don't mean any old run of the mill hero, but a Superman level hero. Someone with the power to destroy anyone and anything in his path. Someone who is mind-numbingly powerful, and pretty much invulnerable, too. And I don't mean "dark vigilante" bad, but "killing cute children and fuzzy puppies for fun" bad. What happens then? Tough questions, but I'm here to tell you that the answers can be found in Boom!'s Irredeemable #1 by Mark Waid and Peter Krause!

The Plutonian is the world's greatest hero. He is beloved all over the world, idolized by millions, and respected by evey other hero in the world. Of course, living up to an image like that puts a guy under a lot of pressure. There are always voices of doubt, people who want to put you down, people who don't appreciate your efforts. In this first issue, we get a few hints that these negative voices were what wore the hero down. Whatever pushed him over the edge, the Plutonian is in full-on villain mode when we first see him in action. Yep, heat vision sure can skeletonize a baby in nothing flat.

The other heroes find themselves desperately scrambling to find a way to defend themselves from the Plutonian's onslaught, but there seems to be very little hope of success. No one knows who he is, where he comes from, or how to stop him. They don't even know if he is really from Earth. The only one who might know something is his teen sidekick Samsara, but Sam was one of the Plutonian's first victims, and he isn't going to be telling anybody anything.

Mark Waid, who has been, perhaps unfairly, categorized as the go-to guy for squeaky-clean heroics, is taking a deep look at the dark side of super-heroes with this book. What makes someone a villain? What makes a good person go bad? How does a flawed hero deal with the constant disappointments and losses any hero is bound to face? Waid, though not evil, as the marketing campaign for this book suggests, has enough experience as a super-hero writer extraordinaire to delve in to all of these questions. He is ably assisted in this examination by Peter Krause, whose pencils are perfect for both the silver age style flashbacks of The Plutonian in happier days and the dark happenings in the present.

Check out this Book of the Week now at Four Color Fantasies! Irredeemable #1 is guaranteed good reading all week. Mark Waid seems like a nice guy, but if you disappoint him by failing to try his new book, he might be upset. He might be REALLY upset. It could even push him over the edge. Unless you want Mark Waid to track you down and give you a sternly worded lecture, you better go ahead and try this book now, before it is too late!

Dark Reign: Elektra #1

2009-04-04T15:41:00.002-05:00

Ninjas are somewhat ubiquitous in the land of comics. Because ninjas are everywhere, often used as faceless cannon fodder for the major league bad guys, they are sometimes cast as feeble thugs, easily bested by pirates, zombies, or other comic book staples. Personally, I think that is all part of their greater ninja plan to lull us into a false sense of security before unleashing their ninja wrath on us all. You'll know I'm right when you wake up (or not) with a throwing star lodged in your brain case.

Regardless of the greater ninja threat, one ninja no one wants to mess with is Elektra Natchios. Daredevil's formerly dead girlfriend is one lean, mean, killing machine. She is a cold-hearted engine of mass destruction who will take out any opponent without a second thought. If you mess with Elektra, you're likely to be dead before you know what happened. Even unarmed, she can find a way to take you down with her left pinky toe. Because of her uber-deadliness, it seems pretty crazy that the Skrulls (Those darn, dirty, Skrulls!) chose her as one of the first abductees in their Secret Invasion plan. Stupid Skrulls.

As you may know, thanks to the Elektra Skrull being no where near as deadly as the real thing, her death and return to her true skrully form, gave the heroes of the Marvel Universe the first hint that something green and nasty was afoot. Dark Reign: Elektra finally reveals what happens to the real deal when she returns to Earth. Unfortunately, with Norman Osborn running things around the Marvel Universe, Elektra's return home is pretty darn unwelcoming.

In Dark Reign: Elektra #1, by Zeb Wells and Clay Mann, our ninja heroine finds herself a guest of Osborn's H.A.M.M.E.R., and they are not good hosts. She is poked, prodded, tortured, and studied. Of course, Elektra takes it all stoically, as only an unbelievably disciplined martial artist can, but her eyes make it clear that her tormentors are in for one serious load of ninja whamma-jamma if she ever gets loose. Do I even need to mention that she does, in fact, get loose? She does.

If you need definitive proof that a ninja is WAY more dangerous than any peg-legged, parrot-fancying pirate, you can start by reading Dark Reign: Elektra #1. It's the guaranteed Book of the Week all week at Four Color Fantasies, so you can read it at no risk to your wallet! Of course, if you don't read this book, you may incur a serious risk of throwing star to the brain case. I don't think anybody wants that.

Thought-provoking, superb art: The Life and Times of Savior 28 #1

2009-03-30T16:32:00.001-05:00

Almost every super-hero comic ever written is, in some way, a reflection of Stan Lee's famous line, "With great power must come great responsibility." What isn't always addressed is whether or not great power really gives a person the wherewithal to handle all that responsibility. How many of us have what it takes to make life or death decisions every day? How many of us could cope with people dying because we have a bad day? Not me, I can tell you!

Sure, sometimes Spider-man or Iron Man have their moments of doubt. They may wallow in indecision for an issue or two, but the nature of serialized, escapist adventure means they'll get over it pretty darn quick. In IDW's The Life and Times of Savior 28, J.M. DeMatteis and Mike Cavallaro take a tougher look at the consequences of a life of super-heroics. In their world, which looks a lot like our world, decade after decade of great responsibility takes a serious toll on even the most powerful of heroes.

In 1939, a WWI veteran known as James Smith had become disillusioned with the life. The war had been hard on him, and the years after hadn't been much better. James spent much of his time drunk and listening to tales of idealized heroism on the radio. Somehow, whether it was the result of a secret government program, an alien scientist, or Uncle Sam and his magic flag, James Smith had a chunk of The Master Stone embedded in his chest and he became the ageless and powerful hero known as Savior 28.

For decades, Savior 28 fought the good fight. Smith loved being the embodiment of all his radio heroes. He represented the American Ideal, and was a role model for millions. Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever and the pressure begins to eat away at Savior 28. When the deaths and tragedy become too much, Savior 28 finally buckles under that pressure, with devastating consequences for both himself and the world.

DeMatteis does an excellent job blending comic book heroics with real world politics and events. He connects the failure of the heroic ideal with the failures of the nation's ideals in a way which, whether or not you agree with him, will give you something to think about. Cavallaro's art is perfect for this project. His style is very reminiscent of classic golden and silver age art brought into the modern world. If all the recent hubbub over Watchmen has you wanting more comics that look at super-heroes from a slightly different angle, you can't go wrong with Savior 28.

Not only is The Life and Times of Savior 28 #1 thought-provoking and well-drawn, it is guaranteed all week at Four Color Fantasies. You can try the first issue with no onerous burden of responsibility! Just don't let your arch-nemesis get there first, or you'll look like a real loser.

Office politics never seemed so fun: Executive Assistant Iris #0

2009-03-14T10:47:00.004-05:00

When most people think of an Executive Assistant, we think of someone who makes copies, takes phone calls, and maybe fetches tea from time to time. All reasonable expectations for the gig. While it would be great to have an Executive Assistant in real life, their adventures would hardly seem to be the stuff of action-packed comics. Luckily for readers, when the guys at Aspen think of an Executive Assistant, they have something ENTIRELY different in mind. The truth is revealed in Executive Assistant Iris #0!

Sure, Iris does fetch tea and hover quietly in the background while her boss, Mr. Ching, meets with his business partners. However, when his meetings take a negative turn, Iris has a much more demanding job to do! Iris is clearly trained in a lot more than how to use the fax machine. When her true talents are needed, she becomes a highly efficient, black-clad, killing machine.

This 0 issue gives readers a taste of Iris in action when Mr. Ching's deal with a shady Russian businessman named Nikolai Krilov falls apart. It seems Mr. Krilov does not mind stabbing a partner in the back when a more lucrative offer comes his way. What he doesn't realize is that two days later, when Iris infiltrates his fortified Russian estate, there will be some more literal stabbing. And shooting. Oh, and some arm breaking and head kicking, too! Man, I would LOVE to have a handy assistant to make appointments and give people an occasional kick to the head.

Executive Assistant Iris is one of the last characters worked on by Aspen founder Michael Turner. Series writer David Wohl and artist Eduardo Francisco are clearly striving to make sure Iris lives up to her full potential, to become a new star on the comics scene. This 0 issue does a great job of introducing readers to Iris and her world with a complete story that offers just a taste of what they have planned down the road. Francisco's art gorgeous and detailed, and perfectly captures the visceral nature of the action when Iris has to throw down with Krilov's ex-KGB thugs. As a bonus, this issue also includes some very nice pre-production art, including character designs for Iris from Michael Turner and Joe Benitez.

If you dream of having an assistant who looks amazing in her sharp business attire, makes a killer cup of tea, and can kill a compound full of underworld muscle, you can't afford to miss Executive Assistant Iris #0. (I'm not the only one who has that dream, right?) This is a perfect chance to be in at the start of a great new book! This issue will get you started, and the first issue of the ongoing series will be hitting the stands in June. Not only are you getting a great story for just $2.50, Four Color Fantasies will guarantee your money back if you don't enjoy this Book of the Week! Besides, you wouldn't want to wake up to find an annoyed Executive Assistant about to ninja you into next week, would you? I don't think so.

Cheesecake Art with Serious Narrative: Grimm Fairy Tales #34 and #35

2009-02-21T09:50:00.003-05:00

So, if you are trying to repackage classic stories for a modern audience, what ingredients do you add? How do you make great stories from the past irresistible to today's readers? The folks at Zenescope clearly know the best possible answer to this question: boobies! If you've ever caught a glimpse of the covers to Zenescope's Grimm Fairy Tales series, you know they can deliver beautiful women and great cheesecake art, what you may not know is that there is some pretty nifty storytelling going on underneath those eye-catching covers.

Grimm Fairy Tales # 34 and 35, written by Dan Wickline with art from Marcio Abreu and Axel Machain, have a ton of clever plotting packed between the covers. These issues each tell two complete stories, while also working together to create a larger epic. In an era where many comics no longer provide a satisfying chunk of story in one issue, this dense narrative makes a nice change, and gives you a little more bang for your comic-buying buck.

Issue #34 brings some new twists to the tale of Puss in Boots, as the kitty of the title becomes an ancient Egyptian statue. Of course, this mysterious, booted, piece of pottery is no mere artistic relic. It is an evil, powerful, totem that offers its owners wealth, youth, and power, but at a terrible cost. As the story begins, adorable young Stephanie is unexpectedly asked to hold on to Auntie Claire's creepy old statue for a few days. A mysterious, red-haired stranger tells Stephanie about the statue's value, and its dark past. It isn't long before Steph starts getting some dangerous ideas about what to do with this evil knick-knack, but Aunt Claire may be more than she seems...

This issue does tell a complete story, but #35 offers up a sequel in which we discover the ultimate fate of Claire and her devilish statue, while also giving us an intriguing update of Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray. Whether or not Wilde's classic novel counts as a fairy tale is possibly in question, but the story fits perfectly into the Grimm world Zenescope has created with this series. When a rock super-star starts to realize that his friends are aging while he stays eternally 25, he begins to wonder what is up with his wife's creepy statue, and the painting she has proudly hanging in their home. And why is that painting starting to resemble a much older man?

The cheesecake may be what catches your eye, but Grimm Fairy Tales # 34 and #35 may surprise you if you look past the covers and check out the stories within. Try these books out now, while they are guaranteed Books of the Week at Four Color Fantasies! You'll enjoy some great comics while also helping to support the lovely ladies of Zenescope. Let's face it, they must have some terrible chiropractic bills to pay.

An unusual look at the world of heroics: The Mighty #1

2009-02-14T09:29:00.002-05:00

Being a super-hero is certainly a stressful and challenging job. The hours are terrible, you are pummeled, zapped, and blown up on a daily basis, and there's always an alien invasion just around the corner. The only thing that could possibly be more dangerous than being a hero is working for one. At least heroes have super-powers, their employees just have targets on their backs.

DC Comics' The Mighty #1, by Peter Tomasi, Keith Champagne, and Peter Snejberg, introduces the world to Superman-like hero Alpha One. According to the newsreels, atomic testing in 1952 accidentally turned an unnamed sailor into the world's first real super-powered hero. Alpha One has spent decades saving the world, but this book isn't really about Alpha One. It's about the people who clean up after him.

Heroically saving a runaway train is great, but someone has to deal with the mess, talk to the press, and make sure all the victims are accounted for. Since the guy in tights doesn't generally stick around for the paperwork, Alpha One has Section Omega. Paid for by Alpha's massive merchandising profits, the people who work for Section Omega are there to handle the bureaucracy of saving the world. It is not an easy job.

When the current leader of Section Omega, Captain Michael Shaw, turns up mysteriously dead, his replacement is faced with some pretty tough decisions. Almost every leader of Section Omega has ended up similarly dead, with the exception of one who went completely crazy under the strain. It is not surprising, then, that the wife of young Lieutenant Gabriel Cole is not totally thrilled when he is offered the promotion. Gabriel, however, has worked his whole life for this opportunity, and he's not about to pass it up now. Besides, what could possibly go wrong...

Excellent writing and great art make this unusual look at the world of super-heroics well worth a spot in your reading stack. With the mysterious Alpha One kept in the background, it is unclear exactly who can be trusted in Section Omega. Who killed Captain Shaw? Is Gabriel's promotion really such a good thing? And just what is Alpha One's role in this whole business? If you want to find out the answers to any of these questions, you'll have to start reading The Mighty. Lucky for you, the first issue is guaranteed all week as Four Color Fantasies' Book of the Week! (Of course, it might just have been the diet of salted Milk Duds that killed Shaw. Ick.)

Need a little mystery? Check out Mysterius the Unfathomable

2009-02-07T10:22:00.001-05:00

Do you enjoy a little mystery in your life? Are you bored with everything making sense all the time, and being so, um, fathomable? I'm going to go ahead and assume you're saying yes to both questions. So today is your lucky day! There is a new book on the stands that has the answer, or maybe I mean the lack of answers, to your dilemma. It's mysterious, it can't be fathomed, it's Mysterius the Unfathomable!

Mysterius the Unfathomable #1 comes from the brilliantly warped mind of Jeff Parker, who may be best known for the excellent Agents of Atlas from Marvel Comics, with art from the equally amazing Tom Fowler. This creative team is a perfect fit for this unusual book, which blends a modern setting with a retro vibe, pulp storytelling, and a heaping helping of 1920s style mysticism. Parker's characters have strong "voices" right from the start, and Fowler's unique, almost caricature-style art gives them a distinctive appearance to match. This book immediately seems different from most comics on the shelf.

To start things off, our snarky, young, heroine, Ella, attends a trendy seance at the home of trendy socialite Vic Chesnea. Vic has hired Mysterius the Magnificent to conduct a seance. Vic either wants to contact his dead mother, or make his little party the talk of the town, whichever one will get him more attention. Once they get Mysterius out of the closet with Vic's buxom personal assistant, the seance begins. I won't give too much away here, but let's just say things don't go as planned.

One thing leads to another, and Ella finds herself pulled in to Mysterius's wacky world. The mystic clearly has amazing powers, but he sure isn't your typical square-jawed, handsome, exotic and heroic magician type. He's kind of a dumpy guy, in a suit that may well have been made in the 1940s. He's a bit of a jerk, his personal hygiene seems a little suspect, and he doesn't treat his employees very well. His powers seem to be used for his own personal benefit, rather than for any particularly noble ends. Despite all these failings, Ella finds herself working for him as the latest in a long line of assistants named Delfi. Weirdness and, umm, "unfathomableness" ensues!

Don't take my word for it! Experience the uncanny and amazing world of Mysterius the Unfathomable for yourself. The first issue is guaranteed all week at Four Color Fantasies, so I can't fathom why anyone wouldn't give it a try.

Give this under-rated hero a try: Black Lightning Year One #1

2009-01-31T10:07:00.002-05:00

Most of the time, Metropolis seems like the crown jewel of the DC Universe. I mean, it IS Superman's home base, so it makes sense that it would be an awesome place to live. Citizens might have to deal with an occasional alien invasion or a giant robot stomping up the place, but the streets are clean and the people seem nice. Unfortunately, even Metropolis has its dark corners.

The Southside of Metropolis is one such corner. The viscious mix of poverty, crime, gangs, and corrupt politicians have turned Southside into a place residents call "Suicide." Jefferson Pierce grew up in Southside, but when his father, a man who tried to make a difference, was killed by the parasites who profitted from the people's misfortune, he left town for good. Jefferson became an Olympic athlete and an educator, and did his best to help people in places like Southside. After devoting his time and energy to fixing the rest of the world, Jefferson and his family decide that it is time to come back to "Suicide" and do something for the people he left behind.

Of course, Jefferson Pierce is not only an amazing teacher and athlete, he has some "special" gifts he has tried to keep under wraps. When he first arrives back home, he wants to help in more traditional ways. He takes over the high school, which has been claimed by the local gang the 100, and tries to get the kids back on track. The brutality and crime he discovers there leads him to believe he has to use his more unique gifts, like the ability to generate and control electricity, to become a more proactive force for justice in his home town. Afterall, Superman doesn't seem to be doing much for the people of Southside. Shouldn't every city have their own vigilante hero?

Black Lightning: Year One seems to be the first step in revamping this classic DC character. This limited series goes back to Jefferson Pierce's beginnings as the hero Black Lightning, and shows us why he had to fight to bring justice to his hometown. This 6 issue limited series is written by Jen Van Meter, with art by Cully Hamner. Even if you've never heard of Black Lightning, this origin story tells you everything you need to know about the character. The art is dark and forboding at times, but also presents Jefferson and his cause in an upbeat and hopeful light, perfectly capturing both aspects of Black Lightning's story.

This series gives readers a perfect chance to jump in at the beginning of one of DC's most under-rated characters, so don't miss the chance to try out Black Lightning: Year One now while it is Four Color Fantasies' guaranteed book of the week! Issues 1 and 2 are still in stock, so get them while you still can. Oh, and some nosy reporter named Clark Kent shows up in issue 2, and Superman usually turns up when he's around. People seem to like that guy.

Vicarious Villiany: Faces of Evil: Deathstroke

2009-01-25T14:56:00.002-05:00

Whatever it may suggest about the inner workings of the human mind, it is pretty hard to deny that most of us really love a good villain. We may be appalled by their actions, stunned by the atrocities they commit, but some part of us finds their villainy fascinating. Maybe it's because we just want to see our heroes come up against truly challenging opponents. Or maybe it's because, deep-down, we envy the villains freedom to just do whatever they please, whenever they feel like it, unencumbered by morals or compassion. Whatever the reasons may be, we find evil pretty darn fascinating.

It makes sense, then, that DC Comics has decided to feed readers appetite for naughtiness with a series of stand-alone one-shots under the banner Faces of Evil. (I was gonna put that in a scary font, but maybe it is even scarier when the font seems normal...) Each Faces of Evil issue gets readers up close and personal with one of the DC Universe's baddest folks. It's kind of like a Behind the Music...of Evil! (Are you scared yet? You should be!)

Our spotlight this week falls on Faces of Evil: Deathstroke, by David Hine and Georges Jeanty. A wounded Deathstroke finds himself comatose, captured, and locked up in the completely escape-proof Belle Reve Prison for Metahuman Offenders. His incarceration gives Deathstroke a chance to reflect on the horrific consequences of his violent life, and leads him to re-think his choices. He's been such a bad boy that it seems he is ready to give it all up. He wills his body to stop healing, so he can end the cycle of violence once and for all. All he asks for, as a dying man, is to wear his costume and to visit with his beloved daughter before he kicks the bucket. There is no possible way that these harmless requests could lead to him killing loads of people and escaping from the escape proof prison, right? Right?

Hine does a great job taking readers, at least partially, into the mind of a psychopathic killing machine. You might even feel a little sympathy for Deathstroke, and gain some understanding of why he does the things he does. Jeanty's art works well in this story, both in the surreal glimpses inside Deathstroke's mind, and in the action-packed second half of the story.

Faces of Evil: Deathstroke gives you a chance to experience the thrill of villainy vicariously, without actually getting any blood on yourself. As much as we all love our heroes, you can't deny the appeal of badness. You can revel in the dark side by trying out this guaranteed Book of the Week, all week long at Four Color Fantasies! Missing out would be downright wrong!

Live Vicariously: No Hero #3

2009-01-18T10:30:00.003-05:00

For most people, there is a certain appeal to the idea of being a hero. Super hero comics and films are so popular because people have always, going right back to the earliest myths and shared tales, loved tales of larger-than-life heroes. Not only are heroic tales exciting, they provide a certain degree of vicarious wish fulfillment. Who wouldn't love to be the hero? Who wouldn't like to fly around the world, saving the day and being generally awesome?? I bet I'm not the only one who tied a towel around my neck and pretended to fly around the yard as a kid. Being a hero just seems like a dream come true.
The idea behind Warren Ellis' latest series, No Hero, is to explore just how much you might want to be a hero. What would you do to have powers and become more than human? What price would you be willing to pay for that power? Would you kill for it? Would you die for it? Would you risk becoming something less than human? Just how far would you go?
You'll begin to get a feel for the price of power in No Hero, by Warren Ellis and Juan Jose Ryp, from Avatar Press. In 1966, counter-culture chemist Carrick Masterson creates a drug called FX7 that makes ordinary people into "new humans," men and women with the power to keep the world safe. They call themselves the Levellers, and they promptly set out to right all the wrongs of the world, weighing in on riots and racial injustice. In 1977, they re-brand themselves as The Front Line, positioning themselves as the "front line against hate."
In the present day, with decades of super-heroing behind them, it is no surprise that Masterson's heroes have pissed off a lot of people. They have enemies all over the world, and one (or more) of those enemies has decided to bring the fight to them. Though Masterson's heroes are tough, they can be killed. One way to take them out is with a horrible goo called Disgel. It can literally melt the flesh off of a human body in seconds, even a super-human body. Unfortunately, someone has gotten their hands on some Disgel, and has a pretty good idea how to use it. No Hero #3 also demonstrates, with help from Ryp's insanely detailed and freaky art, just how bad a trip FX7 can be. I think I would totally stick to wearing a homemade cape and pretending to be a super hero.
The question for you is: how much do you want this comic? Luckily, you don't have to take a horribly dangerous drug that may or may not kill you, or leave you with serious mental damage. You don't have to risk mind and body in a terrible gamble. All you have to do is come to Four Color Fantasies this week and buy No Hero #3. You don't even have to risk your money, because this comic is guaranteed! Enjoy it risk free, and get your super-human thrills vicariously!

Brubaker's Standard of Excellence: Incognito #1

2009-01-10T15:59:00.002-05:00

If you think about it, most of us don't know much about the people around us. Sure, you may see the same people in your neighbor, at work, or at school every day, but what do you really know about them? We only see what's on the surface, the details others want us to see. The real stuff, good and bad, is kept under wraps. We're all going through life incognito.

Incognito #1, published under Marvel's creator owned Icon label, is the start of a new series from the creative team of Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. This is the same creative team behind the critically acclaimed series Criminal, so you know they work well together! This book has the same hard-edged, film noir qualities as Criminal, but with a heaping helping of pulp. Not the kind of pulp you might find floating around in your orange juice, but the kind that brought us the forefathers of modern super-heroes, characters like Doc Savage, the Shadow, and the Spider.

Series protagonist Zack Andersen used to be a science villain/terrorist known as Zack Overkill. Teamed up with his brother Xander Overkill, Zack was involved in hundreds of criminal escapades, resulting in loads of death, destruction, and property damage. When Xander died in action, the Overkill brothers' career came to an abrupt end, and Zack got off the hook by testifying against his boss, a powerful criminal mastermind charmingly known as The Black Death.

In the witness protection/rehabilitation program of Professor Zeppelin's Special Operations Service, Zack has spent three years being a "normal" person. He takes pills that inhibit his powers, he has to keep a boring office job, and live a boring normal life. Zack Overkill is forced to live Incognito. As unhappy and unsatisfied as Zack is, he tries to get used to his mundane existence. He does his job, takes his pills, and behaves himself. When it all starts to be more than he can take, he hits rock bottom and turns to drugs, figuring that if he just stays oblivious to the world around him, he can survive. What Zack hadn't counted on was that the drugs he ends up taking somehow allow his powers to return. Suddenly, it is a lot harder for Zack to keep pretending to be normal.

Brubaker's story lives up to the excellent standard fans have come to expect from the man behind Captain America, Daredevil, and Criminal. Realistic characters, complex plots, and a world that exists in shades of gray, rather than simple black and white, are all hallmarks of Brubaker's work that reappear in Incognito. Sean Phillips' art is a perfect complement to Brubaker's story, capturing the realism and the "noir-with-a hint-of-pulp" feel of Zack's world. There is always a hint of something lurking in the shadows.

Don't accept your fate as one of the boring masses! Be someone better, someone who reads awesome comics! Check out Incognito #1. This is a great start to a new series from a team with a stellar track record, and it comes with a money back guarantee all week at Four Color Fantasies. What more could you ask for than great art, an intriguing story, and a guy named Professor Zeppelin? Honestly, I can't think of anything.

A Heaping Helping of Story: Ythaq-Book 1: Terra Incognita

2009-01-04T08:51:00.003-05:00

It is easy to forget, when we get all caught up in our Final Crisis/Secret Invasion crossover spectaculars, that there is a whole lot more to the world of comic book storytelling than DC or Marvel heroes. Not only is there a ton of awesome stuff from the many indie publishers out there, there is also a world of comics produced outside the US. Most readers are probably familiar with manga, and you may have encountered some UK comics, like Judge Dredd or Tank Girl, but there is a whole bunch of interesting stuff the rest of the world is reading that we never see. Marvel Comics, therefore, deserves a great deal of credit for trying to bring some different experiences to their readers through their partnership with the French publisher Soleil.

The latest offering from the Marvel/Soleil team is the awkwardly titled The Forsaken World: Ythaq-Book 1: Terra Incognita. (Let’s just call it Ythaq from this point on, eh? Not that I'm really sure how to pronounce Ythaq.) This book, by writer Christophe Arleston and artist Adrien Floch, is a rollicking space opera with a hint of epic fantasy, clearly setting out to tell a story on a grand scale. From the beginning, it is apparent that the creators have spent a lot of time and effort developing their world and its unique cast of characters.

Our buxom protagonist is the unfortunately named Granite Welgoat. Granite is a Lieutenant aboard the space cruiser Comet's Mist, a luxury liner that transports the rich and idle across the galaxy in style. Granite is clearly a bit scattered, and her dereliction of duty finds her banished to the ship's bar, where she serves drinks to the spoiled and pampered patrons of the ship. Luckily for her, when a mysterious force brings the ship crashing down to the planet below, her bar becomes a sealed pod, allowing Granite, maintenance man Narvarth, and wealthy diva Callisto, to land safely. Well, safely enough. They get eaten by a giant sea monster, pushed hurriedly through its digestive system, and then crash through a village full of big-tusked fans of legal procedure. But any landing you can walk away from, right?

Granite and her companions quickly make friends, and enemies, and find themselves pursued by the terrifying, yet beautiful, Divine Ophyde and her murderous mercenaries. The action never slows down, with our heroes quickly finding themselves in one mess after another. The art is gorgeous and detailed, and the story is populated by unique and unusual characters, and the world of Ythaq seems like one of nearly endless possibilities. This story is recommended for mature readers, so there is some occasional nudity or naughty language, but nothing that seems excessive or exploitative. This first issue also gives readers a heaping helping of story for their money, you won't rush through this in a quick 10 minute read.

Take a chance on something a bit different and pick up Ythaq #1 now, while it is Four Color Fantasies' guaranteed Book of the Week! You don't want to miss out on the fun, or make Granite Welgoat angry. Ok, actually, she seems kind of cute when she's angry, but still...

What if...? Marvels' series allows creators to wonder

2008-12-27T09:50:00.002-05:00

The "What If?" story has long been a tradition for Marvel Comics. In these stories, writers take a look at some turning point in the life of a character, or a key event for the Marvel Universe itself, and ask , "What if this went another way?" The best thing about these stories is that they allow creators to go crazy, without having to worry about breaking Marvel's toys. In a "What If?" story, they can kill off characters, destroy planets, alter reality, or let the bad guys win.

Recently the folks at Marvel comics have unleashed a wave of "What Ifs" on readers, and they make for some interesting possible twists to recent Marvel history. The first off the block What if? House of M. Now, I admit that the idea of doing an alternate take on a story that already takes place in an alternate timeline may seem a little crazy, but the result is pretty nifty. Instead of wishing away mutants, that naughty Scarlet Witch gets rid of all powers, leaving a Marvel Universe with no super-powered heroes. This leaves technology-powered Iron Man as pretty much the only game in town, too bad for him that the Red Skull takes advantage of this power vacuum to whip out that annoying cosmic cube and start wreaking havoc. This issue also has the first installment of the serialised What If the Runaways became the Young Avengers?, so fans of those two teams will want to check this out.

Another interesting offering is What If? Newer Fantastic Four. Some readers may remember the Art Adams classic FF story in which Spidey, The Hulk, Wolverine, and Ghost Rider took over for the mising FF. This story shows what would have happened if this replacement team became permanent. Once Thanos gets his big purple mitts on the Infinity Gauntlet, most of the Marvel heroes are disappeared as Thanos tries to impress Death, his dream girlfriend, with a mass extinction of life across the whole universe. The team replaces the vanished Ghost Rider with Iron Man, and sets off to save all reality. While this issue has a pretty interesting premise, the best part of the book is the Mini Marvels World War Hulk: Final Showdown. I don't want to spoil anything, but Mini Hulk comes loaded with haikus and beatdowns for all!

Of interest to Spidey fans is What If? Spider-Man Back in Black. As someone who did NOT like One More Day or Brand New Day, I enjoyed this story more than the ones we really got. If MJ had been shot by the Kingpin's sniper, instead of the all-too-frequently victimised Aunt May, what would Spidey do? The answer may upset Peter's sweet old aunty, but at least it doesn't involve Mephisto, or a mass destruction of the character's history. (Sorry, I think the reviewer's bias is showing here! I'll behave now.)

So, if you want to see what could happen when creators don't have to worry about what's going to be in the next issue, you should check out any or all of Marvel's recent crop of What If? one-shots. What if you missed the chance to check these out while they are guaranteed at Four Color Fantasies? You'd be sorry then! Personally, I'm still hoping for What if Wolverine Got a Manicure? or What If Daredevil Ate Too Much Pie?, but those are probably never going to happen.

A Real World View: Marvels - Eye of the Camera #1

2008-12-21T08:36:00.002-05:00

In comic book terms, fifteen years seems like forever. In that amount of time, the readership changes, creators come and go, heroes are created, killed off, brought back to life, turned into villains, and turned back again. Some readers may not remember 15 years ago, when Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross made a huge splash with their work on Marvels.

The Marvels limited series did something that was almost unheard of at the time, it treated the amazing world of Marvel's super heroes as if it were a real place. Through the eyes of everyman photographer Phil Sheldon, readers were given a street-level view of a normal world that was suddenly populated by incredible heroes, villains, and unbelievable menaces. How would we really react to the Fantastic Four? What would it be like to have Galactus walking through our cities? It would be amazing, exhilarating, and pretty darn terrifying, is what it would be. With Busiek’s script and Ross's intensely realistic art, Marvels perfectly captured those feelings.

Now, just a decade and a half later, the follow-up to that ground-breaking series is here! Marvels: Eye of the Camera is still written by Busiek, but this time he is teamed up with artist Jay Anacleto. I can only imagine that, for an artist, following up iconic work by Alex Ross is a pretty terrifying prospect, but Anacleto rises to the challenge admirably. His work is equally detailed and "real," but he doesn't attempt to copy Ross' famous style. He brings his own approach to this world, but still convinces readers that a man can set himself on fire and fly around New York.

This first issue of Marvels: Eye of the Camera re-introduces us to Phil Sheldon, and the experiences he first had capturing the "Marvels" on film. Where the original series focused on events from the Lee/Kirby era of the 1960s Marvel Universe, this series will be moving forward to cover the events of the '70s. Don't worry if you didn't read the original Marvels all those years ago! This book tells you everything you need to know about Phil, his family, and his interaction with the Marvel heroes. If you have read the original, I probably don't have to do much to sell you on picking this up, other than to say that it seems like a worthy successor.

Don't miss out! Would you even know what to do if you found your world invaded by heroes, villains, and conquering aliens? Probably not, so you can learn from Phil Sheldon, and bring back some of the sense of wonder to your jaded fan heart, with Marvels: Eye of the Camera #1. Try it now, while it is Four Color Fantasies' guaranteed Book of the Week!

Sir Apropos of Nothing gives you every reason to read!

2008-12-08T19:28:00.000-05:00

Heroes are usually strong, honorable sorts, but how much more interesting is the man that blunders into trouble, manages to succeed by pure luck, and is crowned a hero?
Peter David's eponymous star Sir Apropos of Nothing is just this sort of reluctant hero and we in the audience can revel in the cringe-worthy moments, because we know Sir Apropos will turn it around...eventually.
Before I go any further, I must confess to being a Peter David fan. His name above the title -- be it comics or novels -- will ensure that I'll pick it up and give it a try. The Sir Apropos of Nothing novels are one of David's success stories. The story provided the perfect venue for David's off-beat sense of humor and gave him a playground for his skillful wordplay. When the publishers said they didn't want another Apropos tale, despite keeping the first three titles in print, David decided to take his hero into a new medium. Sir Apropos of Nothing is finding new life in comics and while these are new stories starting after the book series, comics readers can pick up right where David drops them -- in a desert where Apropos is riding a horse with no name. A horse he stole while the original rider's pants were down. Apropos says the horse probably has a name "but since it didn't ask me mine, I saw no reason to inquire after its." Apropos successfully escapes defeat twice in this issue alone, but there's a certain man in black who is not going to be happy with Apropos's treatment of his dark tower.
Seeing Apropos for the first time through the art of Robin Riggs is a real treat. Riggs' art realistically brings Apropos and his world to life, which provides an excellent foil for the sometimes ridiculous circumstances Apropos finds himself in. The first issue is colored in pastel pinks and blues, a washed out landscape fitting for the desert setting. Apropos is an attractive bloke, whose good looks are tempered by his crippled leg. He starts the issue with his trusty staff with a secret in its tip (double entendre intended), a sword on his back, and a treasure map, which is all Apropos needs to have an adventure.
Fans of the novels will celebrate to have more tales of their hapless hero while the comic should draw in a new fan base. Why not give Apropos a try while the first issue is Four Color Fantasies Book of the Week? (Plus, if you like it, issue 2 also is on the stands.)

The Sandman: The Dream Hunters #1

2008-11-20T19:31:00.000-05:00

Ten years ago, Neil Gaiman and Yoshitaka Amano teamed up to create the illustrated novella The Dream Hunters. At the time, this book served as a celebration of the 10th anniversary of Gaiman's Sandman. Oddly enough, 10 years later, Sandman: The Dream Hunters is being adapted, as a comic, by P. Craig Russell, just in time for the 20th anniversary.

According to the afterword in the first issue, this isn't being done simply because Gaiman is out of new ideas, but because Russell has been pining away for a chance to adapt this story for the entire last decade. Based on Russell's stellar reputation as an artist, you know a book he cares about this much is going to be something special. Fans of Gaiman or Russell will certainly not be disappointed!

The best thing about this book is that it stands completely on its own, even if you've never picked up a Sandman comic in your life. Long-time fans will enjoy the subtle connections to the universe Gaiman created all those years ago, but the uninitiated will find a complete, charming, story rooted in Japanese folk tales. It is an authentic enough story that you may be tempted to look up Gaiman's sources. Unfortunately, you can't. Gaiman, with a little input from Amano, created the Dream Hunters on his own, and then made up a literary pedigree and back-story for it. He is a naughty writer!

The story itself revolves around a simple, rural, monk living on an isolated mountain in Japan. A fox and a badger decide to trick him out of his simple home, as it is much nicer than a fox's den or a badger's set. These diabolically clever critters take turns using their shape-shifting powers to fool the monk into leaving his home. Of course, the monk turns out to be far cleverer than they give him credit for, and he outfoxes them both. Even the fox. Despite the duplicitous start to their relationship, the fox actually finds herself falling in love with the monk. When she discovers that other forces are plotting against him, she realizes that she is willing to risk anything to save the monk's life.

Russell's art is, as always, absolutely gorgeous. This story, with its timeless and classic feel, is perfectly suited to his style. It reads, and looks, like a brilliant children's story, aimed at adults. The art is loaded with lush detail, and will call you back to examine it more closely, even after mutliple readings. With a chain of creators like Gaiman, Amano, and Russell all involved in the story, you know The Sandman: The Dream Hunters #1 is a special event. The fact that it is also Four Color Fantasies' guaranteed Book of the Week is just an added bonus.

Kicking Tail Puritan Style: Solomon Kane The Castle of the Devil

2008-11-05T16:17:00.001-05:00

Most people, when they think of Puritans, think either of deluded idiots burning "witches" left and right, or boring, overly pious, dudes in black, wearing funny hats, and serving turkey on Thanksgiving. Lucky for us, pulp genius Robert E. Howard was not "most people." REH thought Puritan and created a grim, butt-kicking, fighter, who beat down evil for the Lord. Howard was a man wise in the ways of awesome pulp fiction!

Dark Horse comics has already experienced great success with their adaptation of Howard's most renowned character, the boisterous, honorable, and mighty-thewed barbarian, Conan. They are clearly bringing the same level of care and attention to the comic book version of Howard's fighting Puritan, Solomon Kane. This project has amazingly lush and detailed art, with a wood print-like quality, from artist Mario Guevara, and a script by Dark Horse horror editor Scott Allie. Add in character designs by Guy Davis and a story by REH, and this book has all the ingredients for excellence.

Solomon Kane himself couldn't be more different than REH's famous barbarian. Sure, both men are likely to leave their enemies bleeding on the ground, but the similarities end there. Where Conan is raucous and enjoys drinking, wenching, and brawling, Kane is a grim, rigid, joyless man, who lives only to serve God. Conan travels his world mostly to line his own pockets with gold, but Kane roams the land merely seeking to fulfill whatever purpose his Lord intends.

In The Castle of the Devil, Solomon Kane finds himself in the Black Forest of Germany. It is not a welcoming place, but when he finds a seemingly innocent young boy hanging from a gibbet, he feels moved to visit the dreaded castle of the local Baron. And by "moved" I mean that he feels he will probably have to walk in to the Baron's own stronghold and "ease him of his evil life." Of course, Kane, and his fellow traveler John Silent, soon discovers that all may not be as it seems in the Baron's home...

Solomon Kane #2 is this week's guaranteed Book of the Week but, thanks be to providence, there are copies of #1 still to be had! Don't waver from the course of right, for weak men soon fall into the hands of evil. It will do your soul naught but good to read the adventures of the purest man ever to cut the devil down to size: Solomon Kane! Besides, you wouldn't want to give him any reason to suspect that you are not on the side of right, now would you?

Puny humans buy Monster-Size Hulk #1

2008-10-25T16:14:00.000-05:00

Raaaarrrgh! Hulk smash stupid monsters!! Monsters think it is scary season, so monsters can hurt Hulk. Stupid monsters learn no one can hurt Hulk, not even monsters. You don't believe Hulk? Read Monster-Size Hulk #1 comic and see for yourself, puny reader! Hulk tell you how great comic is!

Many stories in this book! In first story, stupid Banner meets pretty Frankenstein lady. Pretty lady tricks stupid Banner, so Banner meets angry monster! Frankenstein monster is even uglier than Hulk. Lady tries to hurt Hulk, so Hulk and monster smash each other. Then Hulk and monster smash puny army guys. Then some other stuff gets smashed. Lots of smashing, but Hulk is never scared! Puny comic writer Jeff Parker can't scare Hulk, and neither can Frankenstein Monster.

Puny Banner is stupid. Banner always tries to help bad people, and they hurt Banner. Hulk would laugh at Banner, but when bad people hurt Banner, they hurt Hulk too! In next story, Banner helps dogman Jack Russell. (Ha ha! Funny name for stupid dogman!) Puny writer Steve Niles tells how Hulk smashes smelly dogman. Story has pretty pictures, but still makes Hulk angry.

In Hulk's favorite story, funny-name monster Goom tells scary bedtime story to little monster about Hulk. In bedtime story, Hulk is scariest monster there is! Smart monsters don't want to bother Hulk, because they know Hulk will smash! Smart puny humans must read story so they don't try to hurt Hulk. Hulk makes scary monsters cry! Take that monsters!

Last story in Hulk's Monster-Size Hulk book has many words, not many pictures. Words make Hulk's head hurt, but story is still good. Puny human Peter David tells story about how Hulk meets stupid Count with pointy teeth and cape. Stupid pointy-teeth Count wants to keep Hulk in his smelly old castle, but Hulk not want to stay. Hulk smashes lots of things and Count learns pointy teeth are no match for Hulk.

Puny humans call Hulk monster, but Hulk is no monster. Hulk smashes monsters! Smashes them all! Hulk not tell you again, read Hulk's Monster-Size Hulk comic, and see smashing for yourself. Puny reader will see monsters are not scary, only angry Hulk is scary. Don't make Hulk angry! Read Hulk's comic, or Hulk smash you too!!! If you don't like Hulk's comic, Hulk give money back. And then smash you.

The Game's a Foot: Ender's Game: Battle School #1

2008-10-19T13:58:00.002-05:00

It's not easy being a kid. Under normal circumstances, kids have to cope with pressure from school, society, and even their own family. Worst of all, they have to deal with the cruelty of other kids. Imagine how much worse it would be for any kid with the added complication of being the artificially-bred last hope for the human race! And you thought it was tough handling that lumbering mouth-breather who wanted to take your milk money!

Continuing the recent trend of big-time literary adaptations, Marvel gives you the chance to experience all the fun of childhood trauma and isolation in Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game: Battle School #1. This book, by writer Christopher Yost and artist Pasqual Ferry, is the first link in a chain of limited series that will ultimately adapt the entirety of Card's much-loved novel. This first issue certainly gets things off to a promisng start.

Andrew "Ender" Wiggin is the third child of the Wiggin clan to be eyed for a position in Battle School. His brother, Peter, was promising, but proved to be a little too unstable. His sister, Valentine, was far too kind and sensitive to be of use. Ender, however, seems like he may be just right. His first test is surviving without the monitor that has tracked him all his life. With the monitor gone, Ender is at the mercy of both cruel bullies and his own siblings. How he survives on his own, if he survives on his own, will be his final test. Does Ender have what it takes to save humanity from the terrifying alien Formics?

Christopher Yost's adaptation of Card's book is excellent. Readers are quickly pulled into the story, and Ender's travails are relatable to almost anyone. Pasqual Ferry also does an excellent job portraying both the human drama and the futuristic look of Ender's world. Creating a credible sci-fi universe in a comic is not an easy task, but these creators have pulled it off in a way that makes it seem like an alien cake-walk. (Mmmm, alien cake...)

If Ender can fight to save the human race from the Formics, the least you can do is read this book! Don't let the bullies scare you away from doing the right thing! Stop by Four Color Fantasies this week and try out the guaranteed Book of the Week: Ender's Game: Battle School #1. Besides, when Ender gets angry, he does have a tendency to start kicking people in the groin, repeatedly. Don't make Ender angry.

A Don't Miss Crime Drama: Top 10 #1

2008-10-12T08:18:00.003-05:00

Police dramas have been around for quite a while. It seems like almost every possible permutation of this genre has been done somewhere, in books, TV, or movies. Leave it to Alan Moore to come up with a new twist on the "cop show," one that perfectly combines the best elements of the classic police procedural with the best elements of super-hero comics.

Top Ten, originally created by Alan Moore and Gene Ha, launched a while back as part of Moore's America's Best Comics line. Top Ten exists in a universe of countless parallel dimensions, where the Omniversal HQ oversees a multi-dimenional police force. Each dimension has its own way of doing things, but that hasn't worked out too well for the officers of Parallel 10. Theirs is a world in which almost everyone has a super-power, and a heroic (or villainous) identity. That makes keeping Parallel 10 safe pretty difficult, especially when the former commissioner went a little megalomaniacal.

As Top Ten: Season Two begins, the men and women of Parallel 10 have to get used to a new boss. The new commissioner, operating remotely from boring Parallel 61, has some big changes in mind. The worst of which, for a world full of colorfully dressed super-folks, includes getting rid of the officer's unique costumes and exotic weapons. In order to help the new boss keep an eye on things, he installs the straight-laced (but awesomely named) Slipstream Phoenix to work with the folks at Parallel 10.

Unfortunately, that isn't the worst of Top Ten's troubles. On top of having to deal with a new boss and a new guy on the team, a very unpleasant mystery turns up in the fountain right outside HQ. In the apparent blink of an eye, 12 strangled teenage girls appear floating in the tranquil pool. Amazingly, all the bystanders happened to be looking the other way when the bodies appeared. And all the surveillance cameras glitched at the key moment. This is not the kind of mystery any police department wants on its doorstep.

Writer Zander Cannon and returning artist Gene Ha, bring action, mystery, and character, to the fine folks policing Parallel 10. If you loved the first series, you definitely don't want to miss Season Two. If you have never met the officers of Top Ten before, this is a great place to join in the action. In fact, it would be a real crime to miss this guaranteed Book of the Week. (Police-related pun fans, you're welcome.)

The Next Big Comics Thing: Stephen King's The Stand Captain Trips

2008-10-04T09:28:00.002-05:00

The end of summer can be a tough time. There's a nip in the air, kids have gone back to school, leaves are starting to turn brown and fall from the trees. Oh, and, worst of all, you get one of those darn September/October colds that you can't quite get rid of. You get the sniffles and a scratchy throat. You're not really sick enough to stay in bed, just sick enough to feel miserable. At least, you THINK it's a cold. What else could it be? Maybe it's just the end of the world...

In the wake of Marvel's successful team-up with Stephen King on the Dark Tower series, we have another, even more ambitious, project from the House of Ideas and the best selling author. The Stand: Captain Trips #1 is the beginning of Marvel's adaptation of Stephen King's longest, and most beloved, novel. If you ask any Stephen King fan, I'd lay fair odds that they'll rank The Stand as King's best. It was once recommended to me as the book that you'll love, even if you don't like anything else by Stephen King. Considering the epic length of this book, Marvel seems to have made a wise move by adapting it as a series of mini-series, rather than one massive run. It should keep things manageable for both readers and creators.

Captain Trips introduces us to a virus that destroys civilization as we know it. Things starts out innocently enough when Charlie Campion rushes home in the middle of the night to collect his wife and baby. There's been an accident at the military base. Everyone there is dead, but Charlie got out in time. He's taking his family far away. Luckily, the wind seems to be blowing away from them, so everything is going to be alright. Though Charlie does seem to have a nagging cough...

Of course, it isn't long before the disease is spreading, people are dying, and no one can safely assume that a cold is just a simple cold. The script by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa sticks closely to King's book, while doing a great job of making the story work as a comic. This is a story that takes place in a very real world, filled with very real people, and the art from Mike Perkins perfectly captures that realistic vibe. You could easily see the same guys hanging out at your local filling station as the guys who pull the dying Campion from his car. The fact that this could all believably be happening to you, to your friends and neighbors, is what makes the horror so effective.

So hypochondriacs beware! If the faintest sniffle, ache, or pain sends you into a panic, you may not have a strong enough constitution for The Stand! For everyone else, this first issue is your chance to get in on what could well be the next big thing in comics. What more could readers hope for than some of Marvel's best creators adapting the most popular work of one of the most successful writers of all time? That's a load of superlatives! So grab a tissue, take some vitamin C, and pick up a copy of this guaranteed Book of the Week. Just make sure your hands are clean before you come in the store...

A Groundbreaking Series: X-Men: Magneto Testament #1

2008-10-04T09:24:00.002-05:00

Comics are a great storytelling medium, because they can do so many different things extremely well. Whether you like epic space adventure, quiet personal drama, violent tales of terror, or super-heroes kicking each other's teeth out, a good comic can deliver. Some comics can even teach you something about history, in an emotional and moving way, while streamlining the origin story of a mutant leader in a purple helmet. Now that's an achievement!

X-Men: Magneto Testament #1, by Greg Pak and Carmine Di Giandomenico, is the first issue in a five issue limited series that streamlines all the diverse bits and pieces about Magneto's early years that various writers have given us over the years. This is no easy task. Any comic book character that has been around for over 40 years,and been in the hands of countless creators, is bound to have an incredibly convoluted back story. Magneto is certainly no exception to that rule.

Luckily for readers, the creators of this series have clearly done their research. Not only have they spent years reading up on the character, they've delved into their history textbooks too. The most compelling aspect of this character is his childhood as a Jewish boy living in Germany during the rise of the Nazis. Just because this is a super-hero comic, don't assume this terrible and tragic period of history will be treated lightly. The creators have clearly tried to portray this era in a realistic, truthful, way. Readers will almost certainly find themselves emotionally involved and angry as they read this tale.

The first issue introduces us to Magneto as young Max Eisenhardt (The first time Magneto's actual birth name has been revealed.), as a typical young boy. The nine year old son of a Jewish craftsman living in Germany, Max is just discovering his own skills, and just discovering an interest in girls. His eye is particularly caught by a young cleaning girl called Magda, and he has been crafting jewelry for her from remnants found in his father's workshop. Tragically, Max's young life goes horribly wrong as he and his family fall victim to the racial hatred of the Nazis....

If you are a fan of Magneto, or Marvel's mutants in general, you certainly don't want to miss this groundbreaking series. If you have never picked up an X-Book, but you like comics that emotionally involve you, and give you some serious substance to think about, you also don't want to miss this one. Great art, great story, and the definitive early years of one of Marvel's greatest characters! What more could you possibly want in a comic? Check out X-Men: Magneto Testament #1 now, while it is Four Color Fantasies' guaranteed Book of the Week.

An Epic Beat-down: Superman #679

2008-09-07T07:07:00.001-05:00

It's a fair bet that, if you read a lot of comics, you probably like stories in which incredibly powerful beings punch the living daylights out of each other. I know I do. Subtle plotting, brilliant dialogue, and complex stories are also great, but you can't go wrong with an occasional epic beat-down. Superman #679 gives readers an epic tussle in more ways than one.

I admit that I'm not a regular reader of the Big Blue One's adventures, but I think it is pretty rare for him to come up against an enemy that, pound for pound and punch for punch, is more than a match for him. Superman's battle in this issue is epic in scale, because he's up against an actual epic figure: Atlas the Titan. Somehow, Atlas has been pulled from the distant past and set on conquering Metropolis. Naturally, Superman ends up in his way, but Atlas is unimpressed by Earth's mightiest champion.

Not only does the Titan seem to be more than a physical match for Supes, he has some mysterious allies lurking in the background. When Supergirl arrives on the scene to help, some shadowy military types, with some serious resources at their disposal, act to take her out of the equation. Of course, Superman has some allies of his own. Jimmy and Lois begin to notice that someone is manipulating events behind the scenes, and a few other heroes arrive as backup. Atlas dispatches all comers without breaking a sweat, but the last page reveals one awesome Super-ally who is not to be trifled with. You might even say he's Superman's best friend...

Despite the fact that Superman #679 is part three of this story, writer James Robinson and penciller Renato Guedes offer up everything you need to jump right in and enjoy the action. Offering up a true clash of titans, this issue's epic brouhaha is one you won't want to miss. It has high stakes, intense action, tragic consequences, and a final page that will really make you want the next issue. All that, plus a snazzy (If somewhat spoilerific) painted cover!

Check out Superman #679 while you can! Unlike Superman, you have nothing to lose. It's Four Color Fantasies' guaranteed Book of the Week! You'll believe a man can fly, and then get the steaming bejeezus kicked out of him.

Clever story, outstanding art: The Brave and the Bold #16

2008-09-03T17:30:00.002-05:00

Everybody loves a wacky team-up! Whether you're talking Felix and Oscar, Daffy and Bugs, Chan and Tucker, or Spidey and the Torch, putting together two characters who really shouldn't ever be in the same room is always pure comedy gold. And, honestly, you'd be hard pessed to find two characters more unlikely to team-up than the stars of The Brave and the Bold #16: Superman and Catwoman. (Though I'd love to see a Foolkiller/Aunt May team-up someday!)

In this issue, Batman is mysteriously "out of town" (Is he just hanging out at the beach? Can he do that?) so he asks his big, blue, boyscout buddy to keep an eye on Gotham for him while he's away. It's bad enough when your friends ask you to feed their cat, I don't know where Bats gets off asking someone to take care of a whole city for him. Anyway, Superman dutifully shows up when Commissioner Gordon signals and, like the polite young fella he is, offers to help out with the massive underworld auction taking place in Gotham. (It seems to me that the "World's Greatest Detective" knew this gig would be a hassle and decided to let someone else deal with it, while he kicked back in his little Bat Swim Trunks. Probably wasn't enough grim lurking in it for him. I'm just sayin'.)

Anyway, Supes is on the case and quickly bumps into the lovely Ms. Selina "Catwoman" Kyle, who has also taken an interest in this auction. She also quickly takes an interest in Superman's huge pecs and his buns of steel. In no time at all, Catwoman has Superman wrapped around her dainty, feminine wiles, and has him playing dress-up as they infiltrate the auction. They're hoping to bid on a map to a mysterious cave in the area, a map that seems to have Batman's enemies worked into quite a lather...

This stand-alone, done-in-one, issue, by Mark Waid and Scott Kolins, has a clever story, outstanding art, and plenty of grin-worthy moments. If you're looking for a break from all the grim n' gritty event comics out there this summer, you definitely don't want to miss The Brave and the Bold #16 starring Superman and Catwoman. It's fun, it's guaranteed, and it's the best team-up you'll see until we get that She-Hulk/Tigra book I keep dreaming about.

Intriguing story, Noir-ish art make NewUniversal 1959 a must read

2008-08-24T15:32:00.003-05:00

Back in "ye olden days" of the 1980s, when Marvel first tried to launch its New Universe, there was a huge wave of hype, all new ongoing series were launched, and everybody was terribly excited. Then the books actually came out, most of them were pretty goofy and, to be honest, not very good. (No offense if you have fond memories of Kickers, Inc.) The hype died down, the books went away, and that was the end of that. The New Universe became the old, forgotten, universe.

This time around, the folks at Marvel have a different approach. The new NewUniversal books have kind of slipped under the radar. They kicked off with an under-hyped limited series from Warren Ellis, and have continued wth a string of interesting short series and one-shots from various creators. These books aren't getting much attention, but they're actually pretty good.

The latest entry is a one-shot: NewUniversal 1959, taking a look at what happened the first time a mysterious white flash appeared in the sky. Not only were the fancy new computers of America, circa 1953, all fried, but some people started showing signs of weird new abilities. In a very film noir, Cold War era USA, ordinary citizens with super-powers are not viewed as a good thing. The brand new National Security Agency starts keeping track of these superhumans, and they don't like what they see.

The three cases who first pop up on their radar are: Lester Robbins, who can appear and disappear anywhere around the world seemingly at random; Veronica Kelly, who can chop people up with her mind; and a young fella named Tony Stark, who can build impossible things. (The inclusion of this ill-fated Stark does seem to confirm that this is a universe that runs parallel to the "real" Marvel U.) The N.S.A. is determined to prevent these people from threatening humanity, so they put cold-blooded scientist Phillip Voight on the case. Phillip and his "men in black" will go to almost any lengths to stop what they see as the "superhuman menace."

With an intriguing, self-contained, story by Kieron Gillen, and atmospheric, noir-ish, art by Greg Scott, this one-shot is a great story on its own, and an essential piece of new New Universe history. Plus, Iron Man fans seriously do not want to miss what becomes of this world's Tony Stark. (He totally doesn't get to be played by Robert Downey Jr. in a blockbuster movie!) Try out NewUniversal 1959 this week at Four Color Fantasies, while it is the guaranteed Book of the Week. You wouldn't want the government looking in to your un-American book buying practices, would you?

Real, Gritty Mutant Comic: NYX: No Way Home #1

2008-08-14T10:04:00.002-05:00

Despite the fact that they complain a lot, most of Marvel's mutants have a pretty cushy gig. Sure, they're hated and feared by a world they're sworn to protect, but they have cool costumes, super-human powers, live in mansions, and fly around in stealth jets. Oh, the poor babies. Now that there are only about 200 mutants left in the world, you'd think they would all hitch on to the X-Men bandwagon, but a few still fall through the cracks. I'm not really sure which is worse, living a life of abject poverty and desolation, or having Mr. Sinister keep showing up to kick you in the face.

NYX: No Way Home #1 seems to suggest that poverty might be worse. This series stars a group of mutant city kids, who are without homes or families. Kiden, Tatiana, Bobby, and Bobby's Lil' Bro have, thanks to dumpster diving and odd jobs, managed to scrounge together a life for themselves. They even have at least one benefactor, former teacher Cameron Palmer, who feeds them from time to time, while pushing them to better themselves. The kids feel like their lives, while hard, aren't really that bad. Unfortunately, someone seems to have an eye on these kids. Someone who wants to make their lives a whole lot worse...

NYX is written by Marjorie Liu, and she does a great job pulling readers into the story with glimpses of the future horror the kids have to look forward to. Liu also does a great job making the cast a believable group of characters who, for the most part, sound like real kids. The art by Kalman Andrasofszky is also excellent. The characters are all very distinctive, and they act and emote in ways which really pull readers into the reality of the story. Andrasofszky includes loads of small, convincing detail in every panel. The first issue also includes a very nice sketchbook from Andrasofszky, and a nifty interview between the two creators.

If you like your mutant comics with a little more reality, and a little less glamour, NYX: No Way Home is the book for you! Action, humor, teen angst, and violent torture all in one book! What more could you need? It may not have Wolverine in it, but this comic is guaranteed all week at Four Color Fantasies, so you'd be making a huge mistake if you don't give it a try. You don't want let these kids down, do you?

Marvel's unique angle: True Believers #1

2008-08-08T08:38:00.002-05:00

In the modern Marvel Universe, vigilante heroes who operate without express permission from Tony Stark are very much frowned upon. The whole idea of taking the law into your own hands, as most heroes of yore did, is enough to get you whisked away to an "undisclosed location" in the Negative Zone. But can S.H.I.E.L.D., the government, or "the Man" really be trusted to do what needs to be done? Can they be trusted to hold all the cards, keeping the public safe and informed?

Probably not. That's where the True Believers come in! This mini-series, by Cary Bates and Paul Gulacy, introduces a team who are not only about protecting the public, but also keeping them informed. The True Believers round up the bad guys, and keep the people informed with an untraceable, unhackable website. They expose corrupt government and corporate figures, they even expose the secrets of Super Heroes gone wrong. No secret is safe from the True Believers. As their motto, a quote from George Orwell, says, "In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes an act of rebellion." (See what you can learn from the classics? When you finish your comics, go read 1984.)

In the first issue, the team infiltrates an underground hooker fight club, where the kidnapped ladies are fired up with Mutant Growth Hormone and LSD and forced to bash away at each other for the amusement of a bunch of rich, old guys. Rich, old guys dressed up as Super Heroes, that is. Once the True Believers put a stop to their fun, they post the story, with loads of video evidence, to their website and the media takes things from there. They expose corruption and lies wherever they find them, and the authorities have no idea how to find them or stop them. They operate under S.H.I.E.L.D.'s nose, and they don't hesitate to go after big targets. Including a very high-profile, much loved, hero...

Cary Bates story is filled with unexpected twists and turns. The central idea, of rebelling to get the truth to the people, obviously has some connections to real world current events, while also looking at Marvel's heroes from a slighty different angle. Gulacy's art does a great job of capturing the "espionage thriller" feel of the story, and making the super hero elements seem real and believable. Plus, he draws a naked lady, covered in swirly energy stuff, kicking a wrinkled, old, senator, dressed in a Hulk suit, in the face. That's something you don't see every day.

If you want to know the truth, you need to read True Believers! The first issue is Four Color Fantasies' guaranteed Book of the Week, so what are you waiting for? Someone to hack into your computer and reveal your most shocking secrets to the world? If you don't want that to happen, and I don't think you do, then you better read this book.

Support the Art We Love, Buy CBLDF Liberty Comics

2008-08-01T08:46:00.002-05:00

As Americans, one of the greatest freedoms we have is the freedom to write, draw, or read anything we want. Unfortunately, this is also one of the freedoms people are always trying to take away from us. There are way too many people out there who want to cover your eyes and ears "for your own good." Personally, I believe I am capable of making my own decisions about what is good or bad for me, and I think you are capable too. Freedom of speech and expression is an incredibly valuable gift we often seem to take for granted. If you don't like censorship, if you don't want people telling you what you can read, then you love liberty, and Liberty Comics should be on your reading list.

The CBLDF (Comic Book Legal Defense Fund) Presents: Liberty Comics-Big First Amendment Issue is an awesome opportunity for you to support a great cause while enjoying yourself at the same time! The CBLDF provides money for the legal defense of comic book retailers and creators who fall afoul of the dark forces of censorship. People in the comic book business make great targets for attack by these dark forces, because they don't have the bankroll to mount huge legal battles, and they often have to accept defeat, even when they are in the right. Bullies do love to pick on those who can't defend themselves, you know. Thanks to the CBLDF, there is someone to step in and protect those who can't protect themselves. By the simple act of buying and reading a brilliant comic, you can be part of the team that helps save the day!

So what is actually in this book? An amazing cavalcade of top-notch creators making great comics, is all! To start things off, there are two great covers, a nifty Hell...I mean, HECKboy, cover by Mike Mignola or a sexy Danger Girl cover by J. Scott Campbell. Inside the book, there is a hilariously wrong tale of fund-raising gone wild featuring The Boys, by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. There is also a fun, educational, series of Tales of Comic Book Censorship by Mark Evanier and Sergio Aragones. Not sold yet? How about contributions from Darwyn Cooke, Mark Millar, J. Bone, Ed Brubaker, and Richard Starkings? If that doesn't convince you, how about a gorgeous two-page spread featuring the first new Monkeyman and O'Brien work in years by the amazing Arthur Adams? If none of that stuff interests you, you must not like comics. (And I know that's not true!) Great stories and beautiful art packs these pages!

Liberty Comics gives you the chance to support an excellent, important cause, while treating yourself to a blast of tip-top comics! I think that's the kind of charitable giving we can all get behind. So do the right thing. Try out Four Color Fantasies' guaranteed Book of the Week, support the CBLDF, and bask in your freedom to do so! I mean, you DO love liberty don't you? You don't want "the man" to come and take away your favorite comics, do you? I think we all know the answers, so buy this book!

Epic scope, scale: Storming Paradise #1

2008-07-26T12:31:00.002-05:00

As a literate and well-rounded reader of comics, I'm sure you're familiar with the concept of a What if...? story. Writers at the big two publishers have used this concept for years (Even if DC calls them Elseworlds.) to really mess up their characters without actually destroying a popular franchise. These stories look at a character's life and ask what would be different if some pivotal moment changed. What if Bruce Wayne's parents had lived? What if J. Jonah Jameson thought Spider-Man was great? What if Hulk ate all the pies? (Or was that one of those Hostess ads?)

The big idea is that one small change, one piece of chance, one bad decision, can totally change a person's life. In some cases, one small thing can change the whole world. In Wildstorm's Storming Paradise, by Chuck Dixon and Butch Guice, the What If? trick is applied to the real world. What if the guys working on the U.S.'s atom bomb project during WWII screwed up and blew themselves to smithereens? In this case, one small change is going to affect a whole lot of people.

Without the bomb, the war plan of the U.S. changes radically. A full-fledged invasion of Japan becomes the order of the day, and Storming Paradise takes reader's along for that rough ride. This book treats its alternate history very seriously. It is clear that Dixon knows his stuff, or did some serious research, or maybe both. As someone with only a passing knowledge of WWII (Pay attention in school kids!), I wasn't always sure which bits reflected real history and which were subtle changes. Everything in this book feels very plausible, like history could easily have gone this way.

Dixon's story is told from almost every possible point of view. From the President, to the Generals, to the troops on the ground, to war correspondents, to the Japanese forces and civilians, and even to John Wayne, readers will see how everyone is affected, how all these lives are changed by a mistake made by one important group of men. Guice's art is perfect for this book. It is detailed and realistic, and as carefully researched as the script. Historical likenesses, uniforms, and military equipment, all seem very accurate, at least to my untrained eye. This comic has the feel of something you could see on the History Channel, and I mean that in a good way! (The "Buy War Bonds" propaganda poster styled cover is a neat touch, too.)

If you like history, what if ..? tales, or just stories that are told with epic scope and scale, you don't want to miss Storming Paradise. Hey, it's guaranteed this week at Four Color Fantasies, so you have nothing to lose. Besides, what if you don't read this book? The chain of possible consequences is not something you want to risk. When we're all living in a country that has been invaded by Belgium, then you'll be sorry.

Inventive, Clever: The Goon #26

2008-07-18T16:33:00.001-05:00

You know, I buy lots of comics. Seriously, lots of comics. I'm sure, by most reasonable standards, that I buy WAY too many comics. The problem is, I like them all so much that I just can't let any of them go. There are, or so I imagine, worse things to be addicted to than comics, so I don't worry too much about cutting back on my habit. However; if I could only buy one comic, if I really had to choose, the one book I love the most is Eric Powell's The Goon. So what is this Goon book, and what makes it so brilliant and entertaining that it comes out on top of all the other great comics out there? I shall endeavor to illuminate you!

The Goon is essentially the story of a good man raised in a horrible, horrible world. Goon's hometown is a cursed place, filled with monsters, zombies, crime, misery and despair. Oh, and hillbillies, can't forget the hillbillies. To survive in this world, the Goon had to become the baddest of the bad and the meanest of a mean lot. He's a film noir tough guy who has a heart of gold, but who will not hesitate to bludgeon the bad guys into the ground with a cinder block, or blow up an occasional burlesque house. Though he may be an angry, violent, thug, the Goon (with his pal Franky) is also the only ray of hope for the citizens of his town. This all sounds pretty grim, but Powell mixes in heaping helpings of dark comedy and satire, that will make you laugh out loud before you grimace in horror. Powell's writing is inventive and clever, every issue of The Goon is packed with hilarious gags, quotable dialogue, and gripping action. Powell's art is just as amazing and unique as his writing, perfectly capturing the jokes, the monster pummeling, and the occasional somber moments. Hey, he's won Eisner Awards, so you know he's good!

The Goon #26 finds our hero at war with a rival crime boss, Labrazio, who seems to be the guy Goon killed to start his career. When some of his men (OK, they're bog lurks, not men.) are attacked on a secret job, Goon smells a rat and sets out to figure out which one of his "pals" betrayed him. This leads to a hilarious sequence in which his team of street urchin informants infiltrate the burlesque house disguised as "a grown man with a mustache that enjoys watching women shake their boobies about." Their success, however, leads to some seriously violent retribution when Goon finds out who did him wrong, which perfectly illustrates the range of this book. If you've never tried The Goon before, this issue shows you just a hint of what you've been missing. I bet you'll love this book enough to want more.

At some time or another, everything awesome makes its way into the pages of The Goon. Werewolves, mad scientists, robots, zombies, tentacled horrors, demented poo artists, giant lizards, cannibal hobos, morons, skunk apes, gangsters, and carnies are all a part of Goon's world. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you won't be able to stop quoting all the best lines if you trust me on this one and pick up The Goon #26 this week, while it is Four Color Fantasies' guaranteed Book of the Week. Tell 'em Peaches Valentine sent ya!

Clever, thought-provoking: No Hero #0

2008-07-15T17:34:00.003-05:00

For most people, there is a certain appeal to the idea of being a hero. Super hero comics and films are so popular because people have always, going right back to the earliest myths and shared tales, loved tales of larger-than-life heroes. Not only are heroic tales exciting, they provide a certain degree of vicarious wish fulfillment. Who wouldn't love to be the hero? Who wouldn't like to fly around the world, saving the day and being just generally awesome?? I bet I'm not the only one who tied a towel around my neck and pretended to fly around the yard as a kid. (OK, so that was just last week.)

The idea behind Warren Ellis' latest series, No Hero, is to explore just how much you might want to be a hero. What would you do to have powers and become more than human? What price would you be willing to pay for that power? Would you kill for it? Would you die for it? Just how far would you go?

You'll begin to get a feel for the price of power in No Hero #0, by Warren Ellis and Juan Jose Ryp, from Avatar Press. In 1966, counter-culture chemist Carrick Masterson creates a drug that makes ordinary people into "new humans," men and women with the power to keep the world safe. They call themselves the Levellers, and they promptly set out to right all the wrongs of the world, weighing in on riots and racial injustice. In 1977, they re-brand themselves as The Front Line, positioning themselves as the "front line against hate."

Of course, it slowly becomes apparent that there is a dark side to the Front Line and their powers. Former members reveal that their injuries don't really heal quite right, that they have constant pain and headaches, and that they need downers to help them cope with the hallucinations and waking nightmares brought on by the drug that gave them their powers. And, in 2011, someone starts killing the heroes. With vacancies in their ranks, how much do you want to become a hero and join The Front Line? How much would you risk to be more than human?

With a clever and thought-provoking story from Ellis and insanely detailed art from Juan Jose Ryp, there is a lot to like about No Hero. This zero issue gives readers just a taste of what is to come for the bargain price of $1.00! Seriously, what can you get for just a buck nowadays? Not only is this book cheap, it's guaranteed this week at Four Color Fantasies. If you're a mature reader (Seriously, this is one bloody, violent book!), you have no excuse for missing out on No Hero #0. Don't be afraid to wear your cape to the store. We won't laugh! Much.

Gorgeous art, intriguing story, legendary tragedy: Madame Xanadu #1

2008-07-15T17:30:00.004-05:00

Most people love a happy ending, but there are many stories in myth and legend that always end badly. No matter how many times the story is retold, the tale of King Arthur is one such tragic disaster. If you paid any attention in school (And I hope you did!), you know some version of the Arthurian legend. Noble King Arthur brings a new age of peace, chivalry, and equality to the people of Britain. Everything seems great until stupid, French, Lancelot shows up and sleeps with the Queen. At that point the whole kingdom falls apart, Arthur and his evil son kill each other, and the peasants go back to toiling in the mud. Unhappy endings for all!

Unfortunately, in Madame Xanadu #1, the wood nymph and legendary lover of Merlin, Nimue Inwudu, finds herself trying to prevent this disaster, with predictable results. This tale, from DC's Vertigo imprint, begins as Nimue's runes warn her of the impending catastrophe. Soon after, a group of Druids comes to ask Nimue to protect the kingdom, and stop the evil machinations of her sister, Morgana. Nimue tries to help, but a mysterious cloaked figure (Mysterious cloaked figures are always trouble!) shows up to warn her that her efforts are doomed to failure. Can Nimue stop the fall of Camelot? Considering the way this story always goes, the odds don't look good.

Madame Xanadu is written by Matt Wagner with art by Amy Reeder Hadley. Wagner has been around the comic book scene for quite a while, and has become a bit of a cult fan-favorite. If you're an old-timer like me, you know him best from his Mage and Grendel series. The story so far in Madame Xanadu is a very interesting retelling of Arthurian legend, but the title and the cover image of the Madame herself, indicates that the story is not going to dwell too long in the realms of the distant past. At this point, I'm not really sure where this story is going, so I'm interested in seeing the next issue! The art by Hadley is lush and lovely, perfectly capturing the mythic feel of the story and the ethereal beauty of the title character. I don't believe I have come across her work before, but I am impressed by what I see here!

If you like gorgeous art, an intriguing story, and a bit of legendary tragedy, you'll love Madame Xanadu #1. Try it out now, while it is Four Color Fantasies' guaranteed Book of the Week. You have nothing to lose by reading this book, but if you diss his girlfriend, Merlin may turn you into a toad!

An Interesting New Take: The Eternals #1

2008-06-14T11:08:00.002-05:00

If your whole race was to be named, and summed up, by one single adjective, you would really want it to be a good one. No one would want to be know as "The Adequates" or "The Smellies." You need an adjective with gravitas, dignity, and power. Something that would really impress and inspire outsiders. Something like...The Eternals.

Even if you know your Marvel Universe history, you may not be familiar with the Eternals. They are an often overlooked part of the Marvel U, despite being quintessential Kirby creations. At the dawn of history, Earth was visited by a gigantic, god-like race known as the Celestials. Somewhat underwhelmed with what they saw of the human race, the Celestials decided a little genetic experimentation was in order. From the raw material of human beings, they created two races: the hideous, powerful, Deviants and the human-looking, yet powerful and immortal, Eternals.

Recently, the Eternals were brought to the foreground of the Marvel Universe by a plucky young writer of some note: Neil Gaiman. In the Gaiman/Romita JR limited series, the Eternals had all been stripped of their memories and powers by an Eternal gone bad. They were living amongst the humans in blissful ignorance, until the Eternal Ikkaris regained his memories, and set about awakening the rest of his people. Unfortunately, the villainous Druig set off to build his own power base, creating a rift amongst the Eternals and starting a dangerous power struggle.

In Eternals #1, written by Charles and Daniel Knauf with art from Daniel Acuna, Ikkaris and his followers are desperately trying to awaken and recruit Eternals. If the Earth is to survive the approaching doom known as the Horde, all the Eternals will need to be united. Unfortunately, Druig's immoral recruiting methods seem to be much more efficient. All in all, things don't look good for Earth, the Eternals, or the human race.

If you liked Neil Gaiman's take on the Eternals, you will enjoy this continuation of the Eternal's saga. If you missed that series, you can jump right in with Eternals #1 now, while it is Four Color Fantasies' guaranteed Book of the Week. You don't want to see the Earth destroyed, do you? Do you? Then get reading! The future of the planet hangs in the balance.

Defying Expectations: House of Mystery #2

2008-06-10T17:57:00.001-05:00

Houses come in many varieties. There is the Fun House, the Haunted House, the White House, my house, your house, a house of cards, and even houses of ill-repute. Whatever your particular housing needs may be, there is a house to suit your tastes and purposes. However, the one house that should be avoided at all cost is....the House of Mystery! (Cue dramatic crash of thunder and ominous organ music.)

House of Mystery is actually the latest offering from DC's Vertigo imprint. This book, by Matthew Sturges, Bill Willingham, Luca Rossi, and a variety of other artists, comes with a pretty high pedigree. I mean, these are the people who created the all-together awesome Fables universe, so my expectations were pretty high. Of course, befitting a House of Mystery, they met my expectations, but didn't give me what I expected.

The House of the title is a sprawling mix of architectural styles, all leaning towards the creepy and weird. There are doorways to this house from many different worlds. In fact, it seems to be connected to an endless array of places, times, and realities. No one really knows where the house came from, or why it exists. People who are supposed to find the House do, but no one knows why they end up there. Most visitors to the House can return from whence they came when their business there is done, but a select few can't leave. When they try, they find themselves in a desolate wasteland with an impassable gate. (Though every once in a great while, a mysterious coachmen comes to take one of the residents away, but no one knows where they go.)

The permanent residents of the House busy themselves by essentially providing "bed and breakfast" services for their many visitors. They are desperate for entertainment, so the payment for their services comes in the form of stories. Each issue has a story within the story, told by one of the unusual, exotic, or just plain disturbing, guests of the House. (Seriously, don't read the Hungry Sally tale in the first issue before eating, or you'll be sorry!) These stories may all form part of some larger picture, or they may just be entertaining tales. I cannot claim to truly understand the mysterious ways of the House of Mystery.

If you like stories that make your puzzler work, or you just enjoy a healthy dose of weird and creepy in your comics, you should check out House of Mystery #2 this week, while it is guaranteed at Four Color Fantasies. If you act now, there are still copies of #1 available. Get it while you can, because you never know when you might open the wrong door and find yourself trapped...in the House of Mystery! (One more time with the thunder and the organ music. Make it extra ominous this time!)

Nostalgia, only more interesting: 1985 #1

2008-05-31T14:00:00.002-05:00

If, like me, you clearly remember the 1980s, you are old! Ouch. That's depressing. Let's move on. Anyway, if you remember the '80s, you may remember horrible fashions, cheesy music, goofy hairstyles, lame TV and some really amazing comics. The '80s gave us awesome indies like Cerebus and Elementals. The '80s gave us Watchmen and the Dark Knight Returns. And the '80s gave us a great age of Marvels, from Claremont's X-Men, to Frank Miller's Daredevil, to the first great slam-bang crossover, The Marvel Super Hero's Secret Wars! At least something good came out of that decade!

If you remember this era fondly, you are not alone. Mark Millar remembers too! And Millar is taking us all back there in his latest series from Marvel: 1985. Of course, Millar has found a way to make the mundane 1985 of memory a little more exciting. What if, while you were excitedly pouring over all those great comics, something opened up a door between our boring old hero-free universe, and the universe where all those Marvel heroes and villains were real? Wouldn't that have been cool?

Nobody else seems to notice, but young Toby, who has enough problems dealing with his parents' divorce and his unpopularity at school, realizes that something weird is going on at the creepy old Wyncham place out in the woods. It seems like, somehow, the worst villains from Toby's comics, the villains he thought were purely fictional, have come to our world. With no heroes to stop them, Doctor Doom, the Red Skull, and plenty of others, are set to cause some serious trouble. As if all that isn't bad enough, Toby bumps into something, or someone, big and green in the woods outside that house...

Millar seems to have a knack for stories where super heroes and the real world collide. He does a great job here, especially with Toby, a character a lot of us comics fans can probably relate to. When this project was first announced, it was going to be a fumetti-style story, told with manipulated photos instead of traditional art. While that would have been kind of interesting to see, Tommy Lee Edwards does a brilliant job with more traditional pencils. His sketchy, realistic style makes our 1985 look "real", so the misplaced heroes and villains seem appropriately terrifying and awe-inspiring.

If you have any nostalgia for the 1980s, you need to check out 1985. If you can't remember that decade, but want to see what all the fuss was about, you should check out 1985. And if you don't want to tick Doom off, you definitely need to check out 1985. Seriously, do not provoke the wrath of Doom. Try 1985 #1 now, while it is Four Color Fantasies' guaranteed Book of the Week.

Awesome Raccoon Fun: Guardians of the Galaxy #1

2008-05-24T09:26:00.001-05:00

Let me just start this off by stating, unequivocally, that any book featuring a gun-toting, anthropomorphic, space-raccoon has to have a certain amount of entertainment value. Seriously: space raccoon+guns=awesome. Keeping this in mind, anything offered up in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy #1 beyond the presence of Rocket Raccoon is just icing on the cake.

Luckily, there actually is plenty of tasty icing on this cake. In the aftermath of recent galaxy-threatening events, Peter Quill (AKA Star-Lord) decides that someone has to be ready to stop the next catastrophe before it happens. With the space-policing Nova Corps having been pretty much wiped out, someone else is going to have to step up and do the job. Fortunately, Pete has some recruits in mind who are at a bit of a loose end with peace breaking out in the galaxy. Unfortunately, these recruits are not exactly the "lets form a team and save the universe" types.

After Rocket Raccoon, he gathers up Quasar (AKA Phyla-Vell, also known as Captain Mar-Vell's daughter. Sort of.), the newly re-born Adam Warlock, the extremely violent and dangerous Drax the Destroyer, and the even more dangerous Gamora, former daughter of Thanos. If all that isn't enough for you, they have telepathic, talking, Russian dog named Cosmo running things back at home base. If that team doesn't deserve to be called the "Ass-kickers of the Fantastic," (Thanks Rocket Raccoon!) I don't know a team that does.

Writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning already have a proven track record with Marvel's Cosmoverse, and they continue on a roll with Guardians of the Galaxy. Under some writers, these cosmic tales can be a bit dry and pretentious, but Abnett and Lanning bring plenty of humor and character to the table. Artist Paul Pelletier provides excellent, dynamic visuals for this blaster-firing, space-ship exploding, adventure. For some reason, there isn't much all-out, crazy, sci-fi out there nowadays, but this book goes a long way towards filling that void.

So pick up Rocket Raccoon and His Human Hangers-on, err, I mean Guardians of the Galaxy #1 now. Not only is it guaranteed this week at Four Color Fantasies, it also has an entire months recommended allowance of space raccoon action in just 22 pages! AND a dog in a space suit. Really, what more could you be waiting for?

Saddle up for an Awesome Read: The Man with No Name #1

2008-05-20T16:36:00.001-05:00

When I was just a wee nipper, my dad would flip through the TV channels, always stopping on any old movie or show with guys in cowboy hats and horses. Now, to my young eyes, those old westerns usually seemed pretty lame. The heroes seemed too clean-cut and two-dimensional, riding around on white horses, and always sure to tip their hats and say, "Howdy, Ma'am," to the ladies. Every once in a while, though, we'd land on something different. The hero was a grizzled, mean, surly cuss wearing a dirty poncho and a bad attitude. He didn't say much, but when he did, it usually meant someone was gonna die. Back then, I didn't know he was played by Clint Eastwood. I didn't even know the hero's name. Come to find out he didn't even have one.

The Man with No Name #1 from Dynamite is the first in a new series based on those awesome Sergio Leone Spaghetti Westerns, starring Eastwood's nameless drifter of an anti-hero. This series is written by Christos Gage, with art from Wellington Dias. The story and the art work together to perfectly capture the feel of this tough-as-nails hero and the rough, dirty world he inhabits.You can almost feel the baking desert heat as our hero rides recklessly out into the mid-day sun. (And all the hot, flying lead doesn't really help matters much.)

The first issue finds the drifter heading into town pursued by soldiers from both the North and the South. One side wants him for treason, the other for a bag of stolen gold. For most hombres, two armies out for your hide would be trouble enough, but when a priest in need of help crosses his path, our hero finds himself with one more thing to deal with. It's a darn good thing this nameless gunslinger ain't the nervous type, 'cause he has a whole heap of trouble in his path.

Even if you've never seen the movies (What are you waiting for? Go rent The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly!), you will want to try out this book. You get everything you need to know about the character in one panel of his stubbled, steely face. This guy is one of the first great anti-heroes, with a chance to ride the plains again in a whole new medium. If you say you won't read this book, well, you best smile when you say that. Saddle up and ride on out to Four Color Fantasies now to read this guaranteed Book of the Week! We promise not to ask your name.

Engaging Crossover: The Secret Invasion

2008-05-03T14:43:00.002-05:00

Who do you trust when you can't trust anyone? What do you do when your best friend just might be your worst enemy? How can you save the day when the people you thought had your back are just about to put a knife in it? Worst of all, what do you do when everyone around you could well be dirty, stinkin', bumpy-chinned, pointy-eared, Skrulls?

Unless you've been hiding out in your backyard bomb shelter for the last year or so, you probably already know that a Skrull invasion has been slowly building in the Marvel Universe. A while back, the New Avengers got into a scuffle with Elektra and a bunch of Hand ninjas. In the course of said scuffle, Elektra was killed. Much to everyone's surprise, her body went all green and Skrully. This was the first big tip-off that Marvel Earth was being infiltrated by undetectable Skrulls. Seriously, not even Wolverine's sniffer or Doc Strange's hocus-pocus could detect the Skrulls within their midst. Not only are they undectable, they have figured out how to replicate the powers of any and all of Earth's heroes. In some cases, all in one Skrull! Clearly, this means trouble. Well, the green poop really hits the fan in Secret Invasion #1, by Brian Bendis and Leinil Yu.

A Skrull ship crashing to Earth in the first issue of this series is the trigger that sets the Skrulls elaborate plans in motion. These sneaky green buggers have clearly been planning this for a LONG time, and they are ready for every threat that might thwart their plans. Major characters are revealed to be secret Skrulls, the Marvel Universe's top power-players are quickly side-lined, paranoia and confusion run rampant! Things are looking mighty bad for the good guys....

Secret Invasion is all set to be Marvel's biggest and best crossover event yet! Bendis is absolutely at the top of his game here, and Yu's art is gorgeous and epic in scale. The Secret Invasion mini-series gives you the whole slam-bang story, even if you haven't read any of the tie-ins across the Marvel Universe. (Though those do add lots of interesting detail to the event.) There is no decompressed, ponderous, plot-building here! This story is loaded with in-your-face, Skrull-tastic action and surprises right from the start.

Epic action, paranoia, sci-fi, heroes, villains, explosions, betrayals, current social allegory, and Skrulls! What more could anyone possibly want in a comic? If you don't check out Secret Invasion, I think it seems mighty suspicious. Darn dirty Skrull suspicious, in fact. You better get yourself over to Four Color Fantasies to pick this one up while it is the guaranteed Book of the Week, or I might need to start checking your ears for suspect green points. Come on, you trust me, don't you?

Honest-to-Zeus Awesome: Incredible Hercules #116

2008-04-30T18:40:00.002-05:00

If you were to find yourself in a REALLY tough spot, one where you needed a true hero watching your back, would you rather have some crazy dude in spandex arrive to save the day or a genuine, honest-to-Zeus, legend? I think the smart answer is legend, and there is no one more legendary than The Incredible Hercules!

One of the best ideas Stan Lee and company ever had was the notion to incorporate characters from myth and legend into the Marvel Universe. Super-hero comics are often discussed as our modern mythology, tales of mighty heroes and villains battling it out, with the fate of mankind hanging on their titanic struggles. What better way to make those battles truly epic, than to bring in the very first great heroes envisioned by mankind? Thus, we have whole pantheons of Greek, Roman, and Norse heroes hanging with the Avengers, or Loki really ruining the Hulk's day. Genius!

Though guys like Thor and Balder may be more awe-inspiring, Hercules is by far the most awesome immortal around. He's a good-hearted, hard-drinking, not-so-bright, demi-god that you just have to love! He's defeated thousands of villains and monsters since the dawn of human history, but he's happy to crash on your couch with a pizza and a keg or two of beer. And he does it all in a leather skirt. How can you not love this guy?

As far as I know, this Incredible Hercules series, which sprang to life out of World War Hulk, is Herc's first ongoing title. Brought to you by writer's Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente, with art by Rafa Sandoval, this book mixes mythology with modern Marvel's biggest events, to provide an excellent, important, and FUN read month after month. In the most recent issue, Herc is traveling around the country, with many stops for beer, with his sister Athena and his sidekick, the super-genius teen Amadeus Cho. Following their disastrous attempt to shut down S.H.I.E.L.D, Athena seems to be directing "the boys" efforts in a more useful direction. Of course, Herc seems to attract trouble everywhere he goes, and it isn't long before he gets them involved in a knock-down, drag-out fight with the Eternals. Much punching and kicking ensues!

This is seriously one of the most fun series Marvel has on the stands, and it really deserves your attention! Verily and forsooth, you must read The Incredible Hercules #116! It is a great jumping-on issue, with an awesome story, great art, and fun characters. Plus, there may just be a connection to a certain green-skinned, bumpy-chinned invasion that you wouldn't want to miss. Try it now, while it is the guaranteed Book of the Week at Four Color Fantasies. Don't let Herc down, or he may have to come crash at your place. Your fridge wouldn't last a day!

Take a bet on Wild Cards #1

2008-04-12T18:34:00.001-05:00

Viruses, in general, are pretty bad news. At best, they give you a nasty case of the sniffles and totally ruin your day. At worst, they can kill you. Worst of all, there's not much you can really do about a virus. Once the little buggers get their claws into you, you just have to take your vitamins and try to ride it out. Regular old Earth viruses are bad enough, just imagine what could happen if aliens started dumping their viruses on us. Yikes!

That nightmare scenario is just the starting point for George R.R. Martin's Wild Cards #1: The Hard Call from Dabel Brothers Publishing. Over six decades ago, aliens from the planet Takis decided to test out a horrible little virus/weapon on the inhabitants of New York. Most victims of this Wild Card virus drew the Black Queen, an instant, horrible, death. Some became Jokers, disfigured freaks whose lives would never be the same. A tiny, tiny, percentage become Aces, gaining amazing powers and abilities.

The Dabel Brothers have become well-known for creating comic series based on highly respected and loved literary works. Wild Cards began life as a series of "mosaic novels" created and edited by George R.R. Martin. Many authors contributed stories to the Wild Cards books, and a complex mythology built up around this world and its characters. Sounds a lot like the way the DC and Marvel Universes were formed, doesn't it? Wild Cards is really a perfect concept for translation to comics. Writer Daniel Abraham and artist Eric Battle are off to a great start with this first issue.

This issue starts off with two main plot lines. One follows the Croyd "The Sleeper" Crenson as he struggles to survive, and solve a murder, in the slum known as Jokertown. The other deals with a high school student who gets caught up in a new Wild Card outbreak, and finds out that maybe drawing an Ace isn't as great as he imagined. If you've never heard of the book series, you can jump in here, without feeling the least bit lost. If you are already a fan of the books, you will definitely love this comic. It lets the Wild Card universe grow in new directions, and offers up a new way of looking at your old favorites.

So wipe your nose, take a cough drop, and head over to Four Color Fantasies to pick up this guaranteed Book of the Week. This series has the potential to become the next big thing, so don't miss out on your chance to get in at the beginning!

Wolverine: First Class

2008-04-05T18:30:00.001-05:00

Wolverine: he's the best there is at what he does, and what he does is gently and patiently mentor new mutants! OK, not quite, but we all know that deep down Wolvie is just a big softie, no matter how much he may try to hide it. That deeply buried sensitive side especially comes to the forefront when ol' Logan is partnered with a kid sidekick. Like, you know, Kitty Pryde.

In Wolverine: First Class, by Fred Van Lente and Andrea Di Vito, readers get a flashback to the early days of the all-new, all-different, X-Men. The X-Men still don't know one another very well, and they just got a new recruit in the form of an extremely young Kitty Pryde. Professor Xavier, in a move that can only be described as reckless child endangerment, thinks it will do wonders for both Wolverine and Kitty if they are forced together on a mission to locate a new and powerful mutant.

Longtime X-Men readers already know that Wolverine and Kitty have a pretty long mentor/mentee history together. This issue takes us back to get a new look at how this partnership got started. Wolvie is a grumpy old veteran and Kitty is a sweet, inexperienced newbie. Working together will either teach them something new, or get them both killed. Wolvie's betting on the pessimistic side of that equation. (I told you he was cranky, didn't I?)

This series is appropriate for Wolverine fans of all ages. It takes place out of continuity, with no worries about the latest crossover events and no need to know the last 25 years of X-Men history. You get a complete story, done in one issue, with nothing more required to enjoy the tale. This makes Wolverine: First Class a great book for new fans, or for fans of ye olden days who may have lapsed in recent years.

So what are ya waitin' for, bub? Pick up Wolverine: First Class this week, while your enjoyment is guaranteed! If you don't, Wolvie might go into a berserker rage and wreck all your old Claremont/Byrne X-Men issues. I don't think anybody wants that.

High-interest Conflict: Salvation Run #5

2008-03-29T15:29:00.001-05:00

Conflict! Everybody loves conflict, right? Without conflict, you can't really have much of a story. A book about people sitting around having amiable conversations would get old pretty fast. Throw in some good, old-fashioned conflict, and things start to get interesting.

Super-villains are notorious conflict starters. They run around stealing things, trying to take over the world, or punching good guys in the face. Generally, this behavior creates conflict and super-powered mayhem ensues. So what would happen if all the villains of the DC Universe were gathered up and sent to an alien planet together? No heroes, no innocents to victimize, just bunches and bunches of villains. Do they gather around the alien bonfire, sing songs, and tell evil anecdotes? No! They bring the conflict and start punching the daylights out of each other!

That is pretty much what happens in Salvation Run # 5 from Matthew Sturges and Joe Bennett. The villains have all been gathered up and sent to Hell Planet. (Probably not the name on the time-share brochures.) Of course, some of them would like to work together and go home, but career criminals and sociopaths tend not to play well with others. Some leaders have emerged from the crowd, like Lex Luthor and the Joker, but they don't get along very well either. Throw in a few potential spies from Earth, and you've got conflict aplenty! (Though I imagine the heroes back home are all pretty bored. With no bad guys around, I assume they just appear at car shows and sign autographs.)

If you haven't been feeling conflicted enough recently, check out Salvation Run #5. It is guaranteed this week at Four Color Fantasies, so give it a read. If you don't, we might have to come rough you up a little. You don't want that do ya? Huh? Do ya? I didn't think so. (Aaahh, sweet, sweet conflict.)

Humorous, Dark undercurrent: The Last Defenders #1

2008-03-23T15:23:00.000-05:00

Let me just start by saying that "Defenders Defenestrate!" is the greatest battle cry in the history of super-team battle cries! If you don't know what defenestrate means, I strongly encourage you to grab the nearest dictionary and find out. I'll wait. (Insert soothing elevator music here.) See? I told you it was amazing! "Defenders Defenestrate!"

Shockingly, The Last Defenders #1 has even more to offer than an awe-inspiring battle cry! This limited series from Keith Giffen, Joe Casey, and Jim Muniz brings readers the return of Marvel's most dysfunctional super-team, the Defenders. If you are unfamiliar with the team, it is generally a group of heroes who have no business working together, or even being in the same room. Usually, circumstances have forced the team together, and, usually, they don't stay together for very long. Past line-ups include Namor, Doctor Strange, the Hulk, Nighthawk, Hellcat, and the Gargoyle. The Defenders are kind of like a family that can't stand each other, but still get together for holidays and weddings.

Now that the whole Super-Human Registration kerfuffle has settled down a bit, Kyle (Nighthawk) Richmond has talked Tony Stark into allowing the Defenders to reform. Typically, Stark decides to do this his way, and sticks Kyle with a team that is, in theory, better suited to the job than the old Defenders. That lineup includes Colossus, the seemingly unhinged Blazing Skull, and an unwilling She-Hulk. (Personally, I think She-Hulk should appear in every Marvel Comic. We need to keep raising awareness of She-Hulk's awesomeness.) At least Stark gives them the glamorous New Jersey beat to patrol. That Tony Stark is a swell guy. Someone should make a movie about him.

Casey and Giffen do a great job with the characters in The Last Defenders. When Keith Giffen is involved, readers can generally expect an irreverent edge to the story, with plenty of funny bits. That is certainly true of the first issue, but it would be a mistake to think of The Last Defenders as purely a humor comic. There are clearly darker things afoot that may have serious consequences for our heroes down the road. Jim Muniz's art, over Giffen's breakdowns, is perfect for this book. It is very clean and simple, but perfectly captures both the action and the more subtle bits of character interplay.

The Last Defenders #1 has great writing, great art, the greatest battle cry, and Quetzalcoatl! All in one issue! I don't really see what more you could ask for. Head over to Four Color Fantasies today and try out this issue, risk-free, while it is the guaranteed Book of the Week. If you don't, the Blazing Skull will track you down and defenestrate you, and nobody wants that.

Jeff Smith for Adults: RASL #1

2008-03-08T09:15:00.002-05:00

Some of you might remember, way back in 1991, upstart self-publisher Jeff Smith started putting out a little all-ages fantasy book about some weird little guys with big noses. And some stupid, stupid, rat creatures. The result was a book you may just have heard about called Bone. To say Bone was successful is probably a massive understatement, as it went on to be a huge success with comics fans, mainstream readers, and kids everywhere. The series is still a big seller through Scholastic Books, and is probably available in every school library in the country.

When a creator achieves that kind of stardom with his or her work, the question most people ask is: what's next? (I'm looking at you JK Rowling!) It took a few years, but Jeff Smith fans finally have an answer! It's RASL! A book where huge men put on spandex and pin each other to the mat! OK, I'm lying, it's not that kind of wrasslin'. So just what is this mysteriously titled book, you ask? Good question!

RASL is, at the moment, the only name we have for our hard-bitten hero. He's a mysterious, no-name, kind of guy. He's also an art thief with a twist. He's apparently built a device that allows him to cross into other dimensions, via the Drift, to steal great works of art. RASL is the tag he leaves at the scene of the crime. Running back home, to another world, provides a pretty clean getaway. There does seem to be a downside to dimensional travel, though. It really, REALLY, hurts. It hurts a lot. In fact, it hurts so much that our hero needs several days of drinking, smoking, and debauchery to recuperate before he can do it again. Of course, in the first issue, a job doesn't go quite as planned. Action and punching ensue!

RASL has the quality art and writing you expect from a star creator like Jeff Smith. What you may not expect is that he is bringing readers something very different from Bone. This sci-fi, noir-ish, tale is clearly aimed at more mature readers. Our hero is a hard-edged, shades of gray kind of guy, about as far removed from the sweet and naive Bones as you can get. As much as I loved Bone, I was excited to see that this is something different and that Smith is not a one-trick writer. Hooray for diversity!

If you enjoy great comics, you don't want to miss Jeff Smith's RASL. As an added bonus, it's the guaranteed Book of the Week! There's no need to plan an elaborate heist to steal a copy, you can buy one completely risk-free, no dimensional travel required.

A Great Package: Locke & Key #1

2008-03-01T15:48:00.001-05:00

It may be a cliché, but you really should be careful what you wish for. Probably every teenager ever has wished for a more exciting life, or wished their crazy parents would go away and leave them alone. Of course, they only wish for such things because they don't consider what would happen if those idle wishes came true. Unfortunately, that's exactly what happens to Tyler Locke.

In Locke & Key #1, by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez, Tyler's whole world changes when his family is attacked by a pair of inbred delinquents on a killing spree. Tyler's father is killed, so the rest of the family goes to live in Uncle Duncan's mysterious home, Keyhouse. Keyhouse, located in charming Lovecraft, Massachusetts, is the one place Locke believed his family would always be safe, but it's a pretty weird place, nonetheless. Isolated, on the edge of a cliff overlooking the ocean, with architecture like a mix of a medieval castle and the house from Psycho, Keyhouse seems like a strange choice to comfort a grieving family. On top of all that, there is something really weird going on with some of the doors in this place...

Locke & Key is the brainchild of Joe Hill. Horror/Fantasy fans may, or may not, know that Hill is the son of Stephen King, an obscure genre writer you may have heard about once or twice. OK, we ALL know who Stephen King is, but Joe Hill has gone out of his way to earn success based on his work, not on his father's famous name. Based on this first issue, he certainly seems to have the talent to go far on his own. The characters in Locke & Key are immediately likeable and well-rounded. The story has unexpected twists and some very unique ideas. Rodriguez's awesome artwork perfectly complements the story. The art is very detailed, but is also very clean and stylish, with a cinematic approach that would translate perfectly to the big screen. (And, yes, Locke & Key has been optioned as a movie already!)

If what you've really been wishing for is a great new book to read, you're in luck! Locke & Key #1 is Four Color Fantasies' guaranteed Book of the Week! Don't worry; the doors of the store are perfectly normal. Nothing weird will happen as you pass through. Nope, definitely nothing weird. Nothing to worry about at all. Really.

Better than Therapy: Green Arrow & Black Canary #5

2008-03-01T15:44:00.001-05:00

Every kid in history, at least for a brief moment, has probably believed that he or she has the worst parents ever. Your parents don't pay enough attention to you, or they pay TOO much attention to you. The rules are unfair. Your allowance is too small. All your friends were allowed to go hang gliding over an active volcano. As valid as these complaints may seem, count yourself lucky. At least your dad wasn't Green Arrow!

On the surface, a super-hero dad sounds pretty darn cool, but, let's face facts here, most of them are a disaster. Sure, your super-dad may be able to take you on vacation to the Negative Zone, or teach you how to fight off a horde of invading aliens, but he's also going to get you kidnapped, threatened, mutated, lost in time, or get your brain wiped in an assassination attempt. At least, that's what happens to Connor, the son of Oliver "Green Arrow" Queen.

In Green Arrow and Black Canary #5 by Judd Winick and Andre Coelho, Connor is bed-ridden with a mind that is a completely blank slate. On the occasion of Connor's birthday, dear old dad looks back on what a rotten parent he's been, and he's been a pretty rotten parent. As a young scoundrel, he had no interest at all in his son or the boy's mother. Later, as a budding super-hero, he had no time for his son and other priorities came first, like shooting arrows at bad guys. Not surprisingly, Connor had a pretty troubled childhood. Now that he's an older and wiser man, Ollie wants to make things right, but it may be too late...

This issue takes a break from crazy super-action to give readers some nice character-building moments. Not only will you feel Ollie's pain, you'll better appreciate your parents, or your own parenting skills. This comic is a way better bargain than all that expensive therapy! Plus, if you felt slightly ripped off by the Green Arrow/Black Canary "wedding," you'll definitely want to check this issue out. Pick up Green Arrow and Black Canary #5 now, while it is Four Color Fantasies' guaranteed Book of the Week!

Top Notch Package: ClanDestine #1

2008-02-09T09:49:00.000-05:00

Writers are always warning us that the dream of immortality wouldn't be nearly as great as we think it would be, but, you know, I'd kind of like to test that theory out for myself. It seems to me that life's disappointments would be easier to live with if you had a couple of centuries to get over them. I mean, if time heals all wounds, and you've got unlimited time, things should work out pretty well in the end.

I bring up immortality because, though you may not have noticed, there is an immortal clan lurking around the edges of the Marvel Universe. The Destine family are all the offspring of 800 year old Adam Destine. This powerful, immortal, extended family mostly hangs out at the Ravenscroft Estate, trying not to draw too much attention to themselves. Of course, it is a little difficult to remain unnoticed when the youngest members of the clan insist on going super-heroing in their spare time.

Young twins Rory and Pandora (AKA Crimson Crusader and Imp) have powers that only work when they are together. Rory has grand dreams of being a hero, but when the twins start fooling around with the forces of badness, they draw unwanted attention to their unusual family. Father Adam senses that bad news is on the way, but it may be too late to do anything to stop it...

New work from Alan Davis, the creator, writer, and artist of ClanDestine, is all too infrequent. He's had some celebrated runs with the X-Men and Excalibur, but he doesn't seem to get the attention his work deserves. ClanDestine is a concept created by Davis a few years back, loved by those who read it, but the short-lived series flew under most reader's comic book radar. (Comdar?) Davis is in top form with this return to the world of ClanDestine. His art is detailed, dynamic, classic Marvel-style stuff. Combine awesome visuals with an intriguing story and interesting characters and you've got a book that really shouldn't be missed.

Look, you probably won't live forever, so you really can't afford to miss this book. Time is running out! Besides, you don't want a vast, powerful, immortal family to be annoyed with you. Read ClanDestine #1 right now, while it is the guaranteed Book of the Week!

Ready for the movies? The Stranded #1

2008-02-01T10:48:00.000-05:00

I'm sure you've probably noticed that, of late, many movie and TV producer types have discovered the joys of comic books. They came a little late to the discovery that fans already knew: there are some awesome storeis being told in the sequential art medium. With all the comics being optioned for film nowadays, it's interesting to see a TV network actually helping to produce comics that could, someday, be filmed. The Stranded #1 is the first book to come from Virgin Comics in collaboration with the Sci Fi Channel. Written by Mike Carey with art by Siddharth Kotian, this book is a pretty darn good first effort.

The Stranded is about a group of mysterious aliens, forced to flee from their home planet. They ended up on Earth decades ago, and disguised themselves to blend in with human society. Most don't know that they aren't just as human as they appear to be, but there are a few caretakers out there, keeping an eye out for their charges. It's good to have sombody looking out for you, especially when they've got alien technology, superior knowledge, and loads of big guns. Gotta have big guns.

Tamree is one such caretaker, and she has to break out the big guns when her "sleepers" start to turn up dead. She quickly realizes that the enemy they have been hiding from all this time has found them. With her base of operations destroyed and her super-smart rat dead, Tamree has to get to her people before it is too late. Of course, discovering that they are really an endangered alien race may be disconcerting for some of them. (I think we should all have genius rats around. I'd give mine tiny little glasses and a fez!)

The art and the story in The Stranded are both very well done. This series could be easily translated to TV, so this could be the beginning of Sci Fi's next big thing, and you wouldn't want to miss getting in on the ground floor of that, would you? So, if you are who you claim to be, head out to Four Color Fantasies and try out this guaranteed Book of the Week. Just leave your rat at home. Unless he's wearing a fez!

A Look at the Avengers Legacy: Young Avengers Presents: Patriot

2008-01-26T10:04:00.000-05:00

Back when Marvel first started promoting the Young Avengers series, I thought it sounded pretty lame. I pictured some sort of goofy "Jim Henson's Iron Man Babies" kind of thing. Boy, was I wrong! The series turned out to be an intriguing look at the lives of several teens who were, in one way or another, affected by the legacy of the Avengers. Some were angry, some wanted to be heroes, and some were trying to live up to an impossible standard set by Earth's Mightiest Heroes. The book turned out to be pretty awesome, so many readers were disappointed when the creators decided to end the series after a relatively short run.

Thankfully, Marvel is giving these characters another chance in the spotlight with the new limited series Young Avengers Presents. Each issue of this series is set to focus on one of the YA gang, letting creators have some quality time with each member of the group. We're certainly off to a strong start with Ed Brubaker and Paco Medina's look at Eli Bradley, AKA Patriot.

Eli, a young African-American man, has a lot of baggage. His grandfather is Isaiah Bradley, technically the first Captain America. Before the army was ready to try out their Super-Soldier Serum on the likes of young Steve Rogers, they ran early tests on Isaiah and other African-American soldiers. Isaiah was the only one to survive. When Isaiah disobeyed orders to do what he thought was right, he was locked away as part of the Army cover up.

His grandfather's experience, and all the other injustices in American history, have made it pretty difficult for Eli to proudly bear the name of Patriot. With a little help from Bucky Barnes, Eli examines his feelings about what it really means to be an American and a patriot. Plus, they bust up a bunch of A.I.M. drones, so there is plenty of head-bootin' action too!

If you miss the Young Avengers, or if you don't know what you're missing, you should check out Young Avengers Presents: Patriot. Brubaker has been on a roll lately, and Medina's art is excellent. Most important, though, is the fact that this is a comic that might just make you think a little. Seriously, the world needs more thinking. Try this out while it is Four Color Fantasies' guaranteed Book of the Week!

Gravel #0: Hardboiled mayhem

2008-01-18T11:41:00.000-05:00

Ah, Gravel. Seriously, who doesn't love Gravel? Without it, where would our driveways and aquariums be? Nothing grits a path like a little Gravel. Gravel is----Okay, I'll stop now. I'm not really trying to convince you to go out and purchase landscaping supplies. I'm talking about Gravel #0 from Avatar Press. I just couldn't resist the bad pun. I swear it won't happen again.

Gravel #0 is the precursor to a new, ongoing, monthly series from Warren Ellis, Mike Wolfer and Raul Caceres. SAS operative Sergeant Major William Gravel has appeared previously in a few limited series, but this is his first chance to headline a regular series of his own. Gravel is a "Combat Magician," but don't go picturing some sort of cute, Harry Potter-esque fantasy-land of magic. We're talking ugly, painful, magic. Gravel is one tough, mean, SOB. He makes Wolverine look like a girly cry-baby, who likes unicorns and ponies. If you've ever been pelted with driveway gravel, you know it's hard stuff. But not as hard as Bill Gravel.

This zero issue introduces you to the main character, stuck out in the Middle East, on a typically violent and unpleasant mission. When he returns home to London, he finds that things have changed in ways that make him unhappy. You definitely wouldn't like Bill Gravel when he's unhappy. He does a little investigation and lands himself a quest that should keep him occupied while he's on holiday, and gives readers a pretty good idea where the first issue of his new series will be going. It won't be pretty, but it will be bloody.

As with most stories from the warped (in a brilliant way!) mind of Warren Ellis, Gravel isn't for everyone. If you are too young, or too tender, for heaping helpings of over-the-top violence and swearing, then you might want to steer clear of Sergeant Major Gravel. But if you like hard-edged storytelling, tough-guy characters, and wonderfully inventive swearing, then you'll love Gravel. However; if you need to resurface the driveway, you'll want to try Home Depot. (Sorry!)

Gravel #0 is only $1.99, it includes a preview of issue #1, AND it is guaranteed this week as Four Color Fantasies' Book of the Week. What more could you ask for?

2007-12-29T16:44:00.000-05:00

Avengers: The Initiative #8-now with even more hot Pym Particle on Pym Particle action! If that doesn't get your attention, I don't know what will! Maybe the cover of this comic, featuring two giant-sized heroes beating the living daylights out of each other while their hapless, normal-sized, peers run for cover? That should do it!

Seriously, if you haven't been reading The Initiative, by writers Dan Slott and Christos N. Gage and artist Stefano Caselli, you really should start now. As the smoke cleared from Marvel's Civil War, the big brains (Hank Pym, Tony Stark, and Reed Richards) who run the Marvel U got the bright idea to put a team of sanctioned heroes in every state. To make sure those heroes all knew their stuff, and could operate in perfect safety, they set up a training camp at the site of the Stamford disaster. Unfortunately, these guys aren't as smart as they think they are and things at Camp Hammond haven't been going very smoothly. The locals aren't really happy about having super-folks all over the place. The young, powerful heroes at the camp tend to disobey orders willy-nilly. And the guys at top have made some questionable staffing choices, such as a former Nazi scientist (awesomely named Baron Von Blitzschlag) and the super-villainous Taskmaster. Plus, anything with Henry Gyrich involved turns out badly.

Issue #8 starts a new story arc in which many of these bad choices come back to bite the Initiative in the butt. When the latest recruits show up, a fight breaks out between the Irredeemable Ant-Man (If you didn't read his recently canceled series, shame on you!), Cassie Lang (daughter of the recently deceased other Ant-Man), and Hank Pym, which is where the Pym on Pym action comes in. If a story where three giant heroes hit each other with busses doesn't pull you in, there's very little hope for you. That's only the tip of the iceberg though. The real trouble starts when the clones the Baron made of MVP (a young hero accidentally killed in the program) start acting up. When will these brainy guys ever learn not to mess with clones?

Avengers: The Initiative has amazing stories, with loads of action and plenty of character development. It has gorgeous art. It has a massive and involving cast of characters. It is pivotal to what is going on all over the Marvel Universe This is really a series no comics fan should miss. On top of all that, the first issue of this new story arc is Four Color Fantasies' guaranteed Book of the Week. All that excellence available with no risk! What more do you need? Did I mention Taskmaster is in here too? I love that guy!

Arse-kicking comic: Northlanders #1

2007-12-15T13:53:00.000-05:00

Of all the arse-kicking tough guys to roam the earth in “ye olden days,” the Norsemen (AKA Vikings) were by far the most interesting. These huge, hairy, burly, bearded, manly-men lived in places so cold that frostbite was a summertime treat. It would have been totally understandable if they just huddled around the fire and cried, occasionally breaking off the tear icicles forming in their beards. But no! The Norsemen wildly embraced life (and death) by setting out to sea in tiny, rickety, wooden boats so they could plunder, loot, and kill their way across the world, discovering new places and people, and killing as many of them as they could! (With liberal helpings of wenches and booze to help pass the time.)

Writer Brian Wood and artist Davide Gianfelice take us for a visit to this violent Norse world in their new series Northlanders. In this first issue, an angry young Norseman names Sven learns that his father has died, and his unpleasant Uncle Gorm has taken over Sven’s rightful inheritance. Sven seems not so interested in the land or the people his father ruled, but he would like the cash that should be his. Sven heads for home, a desolate place appropriately called Grimness, to collect. Perhaps to no one’s surprise, horrible old Uncle Gorm doesn’t really plan to part with any of his wealth.

Northlanders has a story that feels authentic, and the historical vibe makes it all seem significant, while still being entertaining. Gianfelice’s art is appropriately grim, dirty, and bloody. It also certainly seems well researched, the character’s appearance, clothes, and squalid living conditions all come across as very authentic. But don’t worry; this is no dry history lesson. There is more than enough sword hacking and face punching to entertain even the most jaded reader. And, man, could those Norsemen swear! All our best rude words came from them!

So if you like fighting, history, or swearing, (and who doesn’t?) you don’t want to miss Northlanders #1. No pillaging necessary! Just stop by Four Color Fantasies and try this guaranteed Book of the Week. Just remember to plait your beard before you leave the house. Vikings were all about beard maintenance.

Clever answers: House of M Avengers #1

2007-12-09T16:49:00.000-05:00

If there is one thing comic book fans like, it's a good alternate reality. Whether it's What If? or Elseworlds, the Age of Apocalypse or the Spock-with-a-beard Mirror Universe, we like seeing our favorite characters from a slightly different angle. How would things have been different if Uncle Ben was a gang boss, or if Aunt May never made wheatcakes? We must know!

In Marvel's most recent universe-shattering, reality warping event, House of M, readers were given only the briefest of glimpses into the world where Magneto's dreams all came true. Mutants ruled and sapiens drooled, but with all of the frantic punching and Scarlet Witch bashing, most of the backstory for this alternate world was left to the reader's imagination. At last you can give your weary imagination a rest, because Christos N. Gage and Mike Perkins are here with some answers in House of M: Avengers #1!

Lucky for us, those answers are mostly about Luke Cage! And I'm not talking about modern day Luke Cage, cool though he may be. I'm talking about the silk shirt, chain belt, and metal headband Luke Cage. He's kicking butts and invoking our most popular winter holiday as a swear. Christmas! That's the Luke Cage I'm talking about! He's one tough sapien.

The first issue of House of M: Avengers gives us Luke's origin, his rise as a gangland boss, and his eventual turn to defending helpless humans everywhere by gathering together his team of Avengers. And what a team it is! You would be pretty hard-pressed to find a tougher group of non-mutants lurking around the corners of this alternate Marvel U. In just the first issue he brings Hawkeye, Iron Fist, Moon Knight and Tigra (MMMmmm, Tigra-just the kind of furry, striped girl you'd like to bring home to mama.) into the fold. There's a lot going on in this issue, and Gage's tough-guy story is well-served by Perkin's dark and realistic art.

This issue has it all! Except maybe Aunt May and her wheatcakes. They had to save something for later! If you miss the House of M, or just like a good alternate reality, OR if you love some old-school Luke Cage action, you don't want to pass this one by. It is guaranteed, so what are you waiting for? Christmas!?

Mythological Goodness: Thor #4

2007-11-17T16:24:00.000-05:00

One of the best, and possibly craziest, ideas Stan Lee ever had was the notion to bring characters from mythology into the Marvel Universe. How awesome is it to have guys like Hercules and Odin running around with super-humans and mutants, delivering mighty, god-like, boots to the head of evil-doers? Verily, 'tis awesome in the extreme!

Of course, it is all too easy for these characters to be taken for granted. If writers treat a god of myth and legend like any other strong guy (No offense to Strong Guy!) in a cape, they can lose their godly grandeur. If Zeus just flies around busting bank robbers and muggers, you diminish the character AND you have a lame comic. Which brings us to our Book of the Week, Thor #4.

Thor has been absent from the Marvel Universe for a while, what with Ragnarok happening and Asgard vanishing into the mists of time and all. Fans knew the Thunder God would be back (Being immortal does tend to render Death a minor nuisance.), it was always a question of how and when. Lucky for readers, J. Michael Straczynski gets Thor. He brought the Son of Odin back with a bang, and with the awe-inspiring gravitas that is due a god who walks amongst men. This is the real deal, not some stupid clone/cyborg loser. (I'm looking at you, Stark!) Aided by the gorgeous artwork of Oliver Coipel, JMS makes Thor and Asgard as majestic and powerful as they should be.

In issue #4, Doctor Donald Blake (Thor's mortal alter-ego) and the Thuder God both strive to determine their place in this new world. Thor has brought back Asgard, but it is an empty kingdom. In this issue, Blake's medical skills find him helping a Doctors without Borders team in Africa. The people there are mired in a genocidal tribal war. It seems that no one from outside can help but, surely, there is something a god can do? And who are the three eerily familiar mercenaries who protect Blake's team?

If you are already a Thor fan, you'd be crazy to miss this new series! If you have never picked up a Thor comic, this issue is a great place to start! Either way, you need to try out Thor #4 now, while it is the guaranteed Book of the Week. This book is chock-full of mythological, butt-kicking goodness!

Annihilation: Conquest #1

2007-11-11T08:19:00.000-05:00

Marvel has had a ton of big crossover events lately, and most of the hype and excitement has been heaped on to the Earth-centric action. Civil War and World War Hulk have been great stories, with some pretty serious consequences for the characters involved. However; the real, big-time, action has been going on way out in deep space. The universe-shattering wars of Annihilation make the superheroes little Civil War seem like a whole bunch of fuss over nothing.

Seriously, in the first Annihilation series, whole planetary empires were destroyed; strings of planets got blown up, major characters died in droves. You just can't get sci-fi, space-opera action on such a huge scale anywhere else.Writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, along with penciller Tom Raney, sure aren't letting up on the action in the latest series, Annihilation: Conquest.

If you haven't tried out any of the Annihilation events yet, the first issue of Conquest quickly gets you up to speed. The Kree Empire has been crushed by the seemingly unstoppable Phalanx, and bunch of techno-organic alien conquerors who can corrupt your technology as quickly as they can your body. Kree citizens are being melted down for fuel while the Phalanx are building an army big enough to subjugate the entire universe. The only hope to stop the Phalanx comes from the small groups of rebels scattered around the galaxy and a newly reborn Adam Warlock. Of course, Adam doesn't remember who he is, and he may not feel like helping, so the future doesn't look too bright for the Kree. Or anyone else, for that matter.

With heaping helpings of cosmic action, gorgeous artwork, and an epic story, Annhilation: Conquest #1 is too good to pass up! Fight your way past the alien hordes to Four Color Fantasies this week so you can, with the added safety of a money-back guarantee, try out this space-tastic Book of the Week!

Crazier than the Punisher: Foolkiller #1

2007-11-03T09:57:00.000-05:00

So, like many discerning readers, you like the Punisher. You like seeing the bad guys get what they deserve. When Frank Castle strings some guy's intestines around like Christmas tree lights, or runs over someone with a steamroller, you get a guilty (or not) thrill. But every once in a while you say to yourself, "The Punisher IS awesome, but he could be a little MORE crazy!" You, my friend, need to check out Foolkiller.

Foolkiller #1, by Gregg Hurwitz and Lan Medina, is a new take on this often forgotten character. The original was a flamboyant Steve Gerber creation who went around in buccaneer boots and a floppy hat, vaporizing stupid people. This new version, published under Marvel's mature readers Max imprint (Definitely NOT for the young or faint of heart!), is a whole different kettle of vigilante justice. This Foolkiller is a massively-muscled psychopath with a cane sword, a vicious dog, and an evil jester tattoo. He's traded in the goofy outfit for a wife-beater and a buzz cut.

Foolkiller #1 shows us more of the horribly creative results of his "work" than of the man himself. Seriously, the Punisher is a sentimental old softy compared to this guy. He dishes out "poetic justice" in ways that involve some seriously creative mutilations and slow, painful, deaths. His motivation is left unclear, but his targets range from petty criminals, to rapists, to white-collar, big business guys. No one is safe from the Foolkiller. You really don't want to attract this guy's attention.

Hurwitz introduces the character as a shadowy urban legend, who turns out to be very real. The Foolkiller is a menacing figure in the darkness, who leaves evil-doers with his calling card (a "Fool" from the Tarot deck) stapled to their stumps. The fact that we don't know who he is, or why he does this, makes him that much more intriguing. Lan Medina's dark, detailed, and often gruesome, art perfectly captures the hyper-real urban stalking grounds of this mysterious character. Scary stuff, kids!

As long as you've been keeping your nose clean, and you have a strong stomach, you should check out Foolkiller #1. If you've been tempted to do something naughty, this book just might change your mind. If you've already given in to the temptation, watch out when you walk down a dark alley, because the Foolkiller might be looking for you!

Believable characters peak interest: Necessary Evil #1

2007-10-28T16:00:00.000-05:00

When you're a teenager, parents are always problematic. Sometimes you struggle to live up to their expectations, sometimes you are embarassed by their dorky oldness, and sometimes you can't stop arguing with them. So imagine the psychological trauma you have to deal with when you find out that your sweet, pie-baking mom was killed in action as one of the world's greatest super-villains! You might as well pack your bags and head to therapy. Or super-villain school. Whichever works for you.

That is pretty much the choice faced by twin brothers Jake and Miller in Desperado's Necessary Evil #1. 10 years after their mom's death (She was the villain known as "The Matriarch."), they get a mysterious invitation to a secret meeting place. On arrival, they discover the Necessary Evil Academy-a school for super-villain hopefuls. The purple-dreadlocked Mr. Anti, who was with their mother the night she died, welcomes the boys to a convocation that will change their lives forever.

Writer Joshua Williamson has created believable characters and thrust them into this somewhat unlikely scenario. Jake is a little unsure about the idea of becoming a villain. He would like to get revenge for his mother's death, but he isn't too gung-ho about killing or mass destruction. Miller, on the other hand, is all too eager to get down to the business of being evil, maybe too eager for his own good. The other students at the school will be pretty familiar to most readers. There's the tough guy who wants to bully everyone, there's the dorky dude who just wants a friend, and there's the rich, hot, snobby girl who has all these teen guys in the palm of her hand.

The mix of familiar, real, characters in a larger-than-life setting is what makes this series worth checking out. The simple, yet effective, animated style art from Marcus L. Harris really brings these characters to life. (Though I'm still unconvinced as to the soundness of purple dreadlocks as a style choice. With a goatee and cape, no less!)

Let your dark side out for some air and check out Necessary Evil #1 this week at Four Color Fantasies! (If your parents will let you out of the house, that is.) It's guaranteed, and WAY cheaper than therapy.

Excellent One for the Kiddies: Teen Titans Go! #47

2007-10-14T08:43:00.000-05:00

Hey kids, comics!

Most of us started reading comics at a tender young age. Luckily for us old-timers, the medium really grew up with us. The increasing range and sophistication of comics meant we never had to give them up. Hooray! But what about the new kids? Where are the comics for them? Unfortunately, there aren't many good books out there aimed at the younger audience. How will we hook a new generation of readers? DC has at least one answer: Teen Titans Go!

The comic book version of the popular Cartoon Network show, Teen Titans Go! offers up continuity-free stories with clean, animation-style art. Each issue stands alone and offers readers fun stories, without the violence and darker themes that might upset parents or the complicated histories that might confuse new fans.

Teen Titans Go! #47 offers up two stories about the lives of our young heroes. In the first tale, by J. Torres and Michael Chang, Robin has to deal with the anniversary of his parent's death with a little help from his friends and a mysterious, unseen observer. The second feature, by Torres and Christine Norrie, cleverly shows two different sides of the same morning seen from the opposing viewpoints of Starfire and Raven. Both stories are positive and fun with attractive, anime-styled art.

If you're looking for a comic that you can happily hand to a young reader, Teen Titans Go! is the book for you. On top of two great stories, you also get an (unintentionally?) hilarious story-tisement in which Superman fights crime with the awesome power of candy! (Remember those old Hostess Fruit Pies ads?) TTG is good, clean, fun for kids and adults alike. Check it out now, while it's guaranteed at Four Color Fantasies!