Epic scope, scale: Storming Paradise #1

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!