Vault is Shifting From Comics to Japanese Light Novels

Vault is a publisher that makes some great comics. Some time ago they did, "Hollow Heart," and they've consistently done a superb job with their, "Money Shot," mini-series. "Barbaric," has been a hit as well, and, "Lilith," has had two solid issues so far. My point is that Vault produces good stuff and I trust the publisher's judgment even if I don't understand a business move. Apparently (and this was in place before the whole Diamond bankruptcy), Vault is shifting its focus from comics to what are known as Light Novels. Kind of like Manga, these are translated from Japanese. Light Novels are shorter than a standard fiction book, coming in more at a novelette's length with the occasional manga-style artwork illustrating key moments and multiple volumes.

Light Novels are apparently very popular with young adults and can feature a wide range of genres (like your standard reads) ranging from romance, to horror, to sci-fi, and everything else. Vault is going to be publishing English translations of multiple Japanese Light Novels and will still be doing some comics, as of now (they have a new volume of, "Money Shot," that just started), but the manga and manga-related market is huge, so it makes perfect sense for Vault to do this. With all the things that are happening with Diamond impacting indie publishers, I want smaller ones to do whatever it takes to stick around--especially great publishers such as Vault!

Comics of the Year Part 1--2021 in Review

The First Half

I've done posts before that break down a bunch of stuff relative to comics from writers, to artists, ongoing series, mini-series, and all that. I'm going to make it much more simple this year. I'm just going to tell you my favorite comics of the year that came out during 2021 in some capacity (so at least some issues/the book/etc. were released during this year). I'm splitting this into two parts so that I can adequately label everything (Google limits how many labels a post can have), but these are in no specific order. Now then, here is part 1!

Immortal Hulk

Al Ewing wrote an amazing comic and the illustrator, Joe Bennett was revealed to be an awful person (unfortunately) who knew how to draw spectacularly but not how to be a decent human. They will never work together again (Ewing has said as much), but for the 50 issues (and one-shot specials) that we got, "Immortal Hulk," it was a phenomenal read. Full of philosophy, political discussions, tons of body horror, and a lot of Hulk-doing-smashing, it was just a superb book that wrapped this year. Oh, and those Alex Ross covers were the bomb diggity.

Hollow Heart

A six-issue series published by Vault about a strange machine-human hybrid named El that was once a man and now is something less (and more) that falls in love. El is stuck in a lab and falls in love with someone working there named Mateo. Things go horribly wrong. This is,  "Hollow Heart," the tale of a jumble of organs in a biosuit that is capable of immense destruction as well as incredible tenderness. Other relationships are examined in the book too, and how the existence of El impacts them. This is a book about people and how we relate to one another in love and hate, plus it's a book about a huge cyborg that wrecks a lot of shit when it gets loose. It was a great read and I applaud Paul Allor and Paul Tucker for giving us such a human story about inhuman creations.

Crisis Zone

Simon Hanselmann is a genius skilled at drama and comedy. Enough said.

Beta Ray Bill: Argent Star

Daniel Warren Johnson gives us a tale of Thor's friend/occasional opponent Beta Ray Bill as he struggles with being stuck in his less-than-attractive superpowered state and fights to find a way to simply be a regular person when he desires even if it means going to extreme means. The real treat is seeing how amazing a storyteller Johnson is with his kinetic artwork, making even a game of table tennis as two characters chat an engaging and exciting moment. The oddest thing Marvel has released in a while. I dug it.

"The Picture of Everything Else," From Vault Has a Fantastic First Issue

In, "The Picture of Dorian Gray," it occurs where Dorian's portrait ages and becomes hideous while he remains handsome. At the story's end, an attempt to destroy the picture kills Dorian and makes the portrait beautiful again. Now, imagine if someone had the ability to paint portraits of others, and then anything they did to those pictures impacted the subjects? That'd be dangerous if the partner were a serial killer. 

This hook brings us to, "The Picture of Everything Else," whereupon in the first issue, we meet two young painters at the start of the 1900s in Paris who end-up finding this killer and reaching a deal for him to teach one of them in exchange for sparing his life (although he threatens he always comes back) and him agreeing to not make one of them look guilty for murder (he killed one of his subjects whilst they stood in the studio of the artists by ripping the portrait apart most gruesomely).

Written by Dan Watters with lush and gorgeous artwork by Kishore Mohan, "The Picture of Everything Else," is a stellar concept that could have fallen flat, but thanks to the fantastic characterization and Mohan's beautiful illustrations, this comic impresses. Mohan gives us a quietly gorgeous Paris that hints at the dark evil simmering within--when the horrific moments happen they really hit home.

"The Picture of Everything Else," sinks its claws into readers and doesn't let go. It is one of the best first issues of a series I have had the pleasure of reading and if it keeps this quality up we may be looking at a (very) early contender for my comics of the year when 2021 wraps (hopefully much more happily than the last year did). Without a doubt, seek this comic out and read it.

5 out of 5 stars.

Rant-Reviews: Some New Series to Examine

 Always New Comics

Basically, any week with comic-books being released will have some new titles coming out as well. Whether they are from bigger publishers or the indies, new stuff abounds. You can't always judge a comic/movie/show by its first issue or pilot, but you can still review it and get a general idea, right? I hope you agree with me because that's exactly what we're going to do today.

Heavy #1

Ah, Max Bemis. He has written some comics I liked such as, "Oh, Killstrike," and penned books I absolutely hated such as his take on Moon Knight. Where does his latest book published by Vault, "Heavy," fall on my scale of loving-or-despising? Well, I thought it was pretty good. "Heavy," is a mish-mash of ideas, involving a multidimensional World where people try to save others in various realities in order to get into the pearly gates if they died and weren't evil enough for Hell or good enough for Heaven. Our protagonist goes and beats-up shitty people in the hopes he'll qualify for heaven, but a twist at the end of the issue (that I saw coming from a mile away) throws a wrench in that plan. I was entertained by the more wild ideas in this comic even if certain plot points were telegraphed way too obviously early on. As I said, it was pretty good. I'll see where its going, I think, and if it keeps my attention I'll continue reading it!

3.5 out of 5 stars.

Hotline Miami: Wildlife #1

I've written about the first, "Hotline Miami," and how bizarre a game it is before. There is almost no plot until some last-minute reveals at the end if you've gathered puzzle pieces, otherwise the game is mostly a mystery of a secretive group finding a way to get people to start committing mass-murder. Murder of gangsters and other bad guys, yes, but still some violent stuff. How do you make a comic based on that with more than just a ton of bloody violence? Well, this comic starts out with a ton of gore, but then interestingly delves into what kind of people might get drawn into a weird conspiracy of answering phone calls, wearing Halloween masks, and committing murder. Namely, people who are already a little...off. 

When the protagonist of our story is obsessed with patriotism, does a lot of substances, and seems prone to anger, it seems maybe whoever is wanting to use him as a violent tool has some advantages in picking him compared to some other random person. There isn't anything revelatory in this first issue, but it is a decent start that does get you thinking a bit.

3 out of 5 stars.

Black Widow #1

Every year or two Marvel seems to launch another, "Black Widow," solo comic in the hopes this one is a hit. Usually, the routine is the same of her doing spy-stuff and beating people up while fighting another evil spy organization. It can get a bit rote. This issue actually starts out just like that, but then suddenly swerves. Natasha seems to suffer a surprise assault with a bunch of tranq-darts to the neck and then its three months later and she's going by a new name in San Fransico with a new job, a boyfriend, and a strangely peaceful life. Does she know what's going on? It seems she isn't undercover so much as being tricked--especially with the reveal of a surprise villain at the end who I'm 99% sure has never interacted with Black Widow before. This twist in the usual, "Black Widow," comic formula has gotten my attention, as instead of the usual spycraft something much weirder is afoot. I'm here for it.

4.5 out of 5 stars.

Fishkill #1

Written by Dan Fogler and Laurence Blum, the fact this was illustrated by Ben Templesmith is what caught my eye as I'm a fan of Templesmith's work. It looks gorgeous for sure in this issue, which is a solid debut following a detective named Bart Fishkill who ends-up working as a bridge safety officer as punishment for repeated insubordination. The synopsis for the comic actually lays-out everything that is going to happen in this issue and future ones, which is interesting and indicates there is a big plan. We witness a terror attack on the bridge and the opening text indicates Bart will be blamed and hated by some and greeted as a revolutionary by others. This issue just ends with the bridge having the explosion, however, so it is hard to gauge much of the story besides that. Still, Templesmith's art is stellar and I liked what I read, even if it was just a snippet of what is indicated as coming.

4.5 out of 5 stars.

Stillwater #1

It takes till the end for the main point of the comic to make itself known, but once it arrived I was very interested. Chip Zdarsky wrote, "Stillwater," the latest Image release, and while he's quite known for his humorous writing or art, he can do drama well too. With Ramon K. Perez on art we follow the story of two men arriving at a town where nobody can actually age or die within the city limits. I'd say that's a spoiler, but the comic was solicited with that as the big interesting hook the book would explore. It takes until basically the end of the issue for everything to become apparent, kind of like the above-reviewed, "Fishkill," but there's nothing wrong with some good lead-up. What exactly is due to happen now that some outsiders know the secret of the town (or if one is actually less of an outsider than one would think) remains to be seen. It was some good stuff, however.

4 out of 5 stars.

Vault Releases a Free Coloring Book With Art From Their Comics Because Why Not?

There may be no weekly comics right now due to the pandemic, but it seems Vault doesn't want us too depressed/bored because they've been kind enough to release a free printable coloring book featuring images from and related to their comics. Vault publishes some fun books, with their title, "Money Shot," being my favorite new series of 2019. It is kind of them to offer this coloring book, and it has a lower resolution version for coloring with crayons/markers/pencils and a super-high resolution version should you want to color it in a computer program like Adobe Photoshop or such. Grab your free copy here and get to coloring!

Almost Mid-December 2019 News and Links

December is Flying By

Hey, wow, it is already almost the middle of December! That happened fast. I really should get working on my year-in-review posts I generally do between Christmas and the start of the new year, but how about instead I whittle away the time by sharing interesting bits of news and links? Yeah, procrastination never comes back to bit anyone on the bottom!

Some News For Ya

Starting with some news that upsets me but seemed to register very little with others, Redbox is shutting-down game rentals. Yes, go ahead and make some joke about how nobody uses Rebox anymore because I know individuals who do (meaning you can shut-up). I like renting games for consoles because I don't want to spend $60 on something I may hate, and with Redbox eliminating game rentals that will limit a lot of people's ability to rent a videogame. Thankfully here in the Midwest, you can actually buy or rent stuff from the awesome smaller-chain of stores known as V-Stock.

Vault puts out some interesting comics and their, "Pay what you want," promotion with a chunk of proceeds going to charity is a great way to sample some of the comics they publish.

Whenever someone claims to have found a space alien or Bigfoot it always turns out to be a ploy to get famous/make money. It would be hilarious if a real space alien just popped-up on a local news broadcast sometime and was like, "Hey, what's up, I'm from space. I don't want to conquer you or anything; I just wanted to try these, 'French fries,' I keep hearing about."

I fully agree with this article about how amazing Wesley Snipes was as Blade. I'm always telling people how the, "Blade," movies ("Trinity," aside) were the best Marvel-but-pre-Marvel Cinematic Universe flicks.

Speaking of vampire-related media, I enjoyed reading Christopher Priest's writer's commentary on his most recent issue (#5) of, "Vampirella."

This piece by Rich Juzwiak of Muse makes the interesting observation that sometimes we may declare a music artist is, "Cancelled," yet people just keep listening to them regardless.

The official trailer for, "Wonder Woman 1984," was released recently. It looks pretty entertaining and by being in the past it can side-step a whole lot of the issues regarding what exactly the DC movie continuity currently looks-like in terms of present-day movies while also being arguably the first direct sequel to a DC movie since Nolan's "Dark Knight," trilogy.

There is a new text-based game, "AI Dungeon 2," that has been getting a chunk of press for how it uses fancy computing to try and concoct a response to almost anything you can think of trying to do in a text-based browser. It became so popular so fast after its release it crashed, but there are plans to make it more readily available to more people trying to log-on if folk are willing to help fund its further development

Finally, an official Twitter account of the Trump campaign compared him to the genocidal madman Thanos from Marvel comics and movies. You know, the guy who wanted to destroy countless lives and was defeated due to his arrogance? You can't make this shit up and I'm just thankful that this impeachment process is moving along.

Gear-Up for the Holidays!

A whole bunch of Winter holidays are quickly approaching from Christmas to Hanukkah, Kwanza, and plenty more. Hopefully, you're adequately or at least minorly prepared for how busy things are going to be getting!

Rant-Reviews: All Indie Comics

Smaller Press, But Not Smaller Fun
I enjoy reading comics from the big two (Marvel and DC) as well as other larger comic-book publishers such as Image, IDW, Boom, Dyanmite--you know, all the, "Premier," publishers you find listed at the Previewsworld website or in Previews catalog. That said, I continue to have a great affinity for the smaller, "indie," comic-book publishers (and micro-press too). With that in mind I thought I'd discuss an assortment of works from publishers that might not be as known as the, "Big dogs," but still make some cool works.

Getting Indie With It!
Daygloayhole  #1
Published by Silver Sprocket (who also published the awesome, "No Better Words," book I loved), "Daygloayhole," is going to becoming out quarterly and collects this work of Ben Passmore as he published the comic over time. Set in the world after its end due to an unclear cataclysm, the idea of a post-apocalypse is actually more-so used as a metaphor to discuss concepts as wide-ranging as police brutality, concepts of family, the ethical and financial considerations of the commercialization of sex via pornography, and gentrification. It's a fascinatingly weird comic, prone to random asides and just as likely to make a deep statement about humanity as it is to tell a dirty joke or show some wanton violence. The comic will be coming-out quarterly so I have to wait until July to read more, which feels like a long time to have to be patient as I loved this quirky book. The wait will just make it even more fun once I get to read the next issue, right?
5 out of 5 stars.

Infinity 8 #2
I have a soft spot for the publisher Lion Forge. Part of this is because they are based in the Saint Louis region, and because I've seen them grow from a smaller publisher who I enjoyed speaking with previously, to a quite notable presence in the field of comics. The latest series, "Infinity 8," will have a number of comics set in its weird space-world with each three-issue arc self-contained, and I believe the 3rd issue is already out. I haven't been able to pick it up yet though, so I thought I'd discuss the second. Basically the first issue did a lot of introducing us to a universe of aliens and agents who keep order on spaceships. At the end of the first issue things went haywire and now we get to witness all kinds of madness and danger. The book has a real Euro-comic feel--in a good way--with a mixture of sharply striking artwork and enjoyably dry humor. Even if this issue is mostly one big action-scene it is a fun one, and I'm eager to get to the comic-shop and grab myself a copy of issue #3 as soon as possible.
4.5 out of 5 stars.

Jazz Legend #1
SCOUT Comics makes a number of stellar books, from, "Stabbity Bunny," to upcoming release, "Zinnober." Their latest new series is, "Jazz Legend," and it is an interesting mesh of fantastical horror and hints of meta-ness. The comic seems to be about an amazing jazz performer but it becomes clear that he may in some ways be suffering from having his life be a story created by a writer who is himself amazed what he records comes true. At least, that is what I took from it, with other reviews online seeming pretty befuddled too by the story but loving the bizarre tone and imagery. Just how real some people are and how much they are surreal creations is unclear, but this has piqued my interest enough I for sure want to keep reading the book. It's confusing and messy, but I think intentionally so. Plus, it discusses Jazz, a beautiful artform, so that element alone makes this a keeper.
3.5 out of 5 stars.

Wasted Space #1
VAULT is a newer publisher who has already been a solid job carving-out a name for themselves as putting-out interesting and surreal works. "Wasted Space," fits that bill for sure, featuring a wild mixture of ideas in a futuristic time full of space travel, religion, political intrigue, and "Fuq" bots. This is just a single issue--and a first one at that--so all these ideas at times threaten to make the story feel a bit overloaded and almost too packed with fun ideas. Thankfully things seem to balance out for the most part and by this issue's end we have a good handle on who the main characters are and what they'll be up to in future issues (taking down a corrupt politician abusing people's beliefs for his own gain seems to be the upcoming focus). It's a fun read and promising, I just hope it can deliver.
3 out of 5 stars.

Hidden Blood One-Shot
Amigo has been around for a bit and released a number of cool comics. This one-shot by the writer-artist known simply as, "Massacre," is a fun read in the style of an old-school grind-house flick. Focused on a former boxer named Clarice who has resorted to stripping since getting suspended due to her extreme methods of fighting, the book has the aforementioned strippers facing-off against a vampire, a Nazi-hunter confronted with evil robots, tons of nudity, heaping amounts of gore, and just enough knowing winks to the reader to make it clear the book is quite self-aware at its absurdity. The variety of corny plots sync-up and separate enough to make it clear care was put into the story no matter how silly it is, and Massacre's artwork is appropriately sexy or horrifying as the comic calls for it. Delightfully cheeky stuff.
5 out of 5 stars.

Galaktikon #6
Published by Albatross Funnybooks, the finale issue of this series comes from the talented Brendon Small (of "Home Movies," and "Metalocalypse," fame) where he has taken his musical albums that tell the story of flawed space-hero Galaktikon and has made it into a solidly interesting yarn about a how our idols often can be flawed and troubled jerks. It sounds depressing, but, "Galaktikon," was actually quite the darkly funny series and this final issue ends in a way that leaves the door open for more albums/comics as Galaktikon conquers some of his own personal demons and fells a longtime enemy, but still clearly needs a lot more personal growth before approaching anything resembling a functional adult. It's bleak-yet-fun stuff. I liked it a lot.
4 out of 5 stars.

There's Always Good Stuff Hiding Out There
If you ever find yourself getting tired of the kind of books put out by bigger publishers just remember there is always some good stuff hiding out there that you just might have to look a little bit for, checking out all the less-known publishers for some quality books. Also, I am aware how half the books I reviewed interestingly seemed to involve outer-space to some degree. I guess I know what I like!

The Hot Comics Revue: Fourth Edition Fun

Fourth Time May Very Well be a Charm

This is the fourth entry in the potentially never-ending series of, "The Hot Comics Revue." This is where we discuss books that currently out and getting some buzz, immensely popular, or have steamy potential. As always, I thank my friends at Comics Heating Up for the idea to do this, as they discuss upcoming books that might get hot and this bit talks about ones that are already out. I encourage you to visit them for all your comic speculation needs.

A Book That is Warming-Up

This variant for the third issue shows potential to get hot.

Batman: White Knight (the series in general)
Written and illustrated by the immensely talented Sean Murphy, "Batman: White Knight," has presented an interesting take on what things could be like if the Joker were to become a good guy and in the process points out how Batman is kind of a violent monster when his more-awful enemies aren't present to cast him in a better light. It also had the clever idea to explain the changes in Harley Quinn over the years by making her in fact be two people, with the new third issue resulting in one of the Harley's becoming a new Joker. The book has been slowly heating up and I wouldn't be surprised if we saw this idea of Harley being a Neo Joker appearing in other books as well, making the latest third issue where this happens potentially a sought-after item. The whole series could get pretty hot and I'll be keeping my eye on it. For now you can get the assorted issues for about 10 bucks each on eBay and I could picture prices going up for the first and third issue easily. DC has a possibly huge hit on their hands here.

A Red-Hot Comic

Teen Titans #12
There has been some debate over what qualifies as the first in-comic appearance of, "The Batman Who Laughs," a character in DC's, "Metal," event who is an alternate-universe version of Batman meshed with the Joker. The general consensus has been his first full appearance is in this issue however. As for who he is, its a version of Batman from an alternate reality who is really evil. His visage arguably infringes on the look of Judge Death from 2000AD, but if you're gonna rip-off a creepy face why not take from the best? As, "Metal," has been quite the successful series and ,"The Batman Who Laughs," is arguably the breakout character, his one-shot comic has been very popular and what most have agreed to be his first full appearance-- this, "Teen Titans #12," has become quite the hot book. It is currently going for between $25-$40 on eBay and may very well get even hotter if this Batman makes any other future appearances.

Two Titles with Steamy Potential

Kill the Minotaur #1 Regular Cover, Skybound Megabox Variant, or Ashcan
A mini-series from the Image imprint Skybound (the same imprint behind the massively successful, "The Walking Dead," comic), "Kill the Minotaur," went six issues and was recently optioned. It has a standard first issue cover, a Skybound Megabox (a popular subscription box from the company) exclusive variant of the first issue, and had a promotional ashcan. These versions of the first issue and the ashcan seem to show a lot of potentail and assuming that the option comes to fruition this could go from steamy potential to blazing hot.

Reactor #1
Donny Cates is a writer who has been on fire lately with hits like, "God Country," and, "Redneck," at Image and has recently started writing for Marvel. He still has some random titles coming out at other publishers however, such as this new book, "Reactor," from the publisher Vault. A sequel of sorts to his book, "Interceptor," that was published by Heavy Metal, if Cates in general keeps getting heat almost anything he does could go up in value. For now it is just hovering around cover-price on eBay, so we shall see.

Rant-Reviews: A Smorgasbord of First (and one Zero) Issues!

You Know The Routine By Now...
Seriously, you know how this goes at this point. I do all kinds of capsule/rant-reviews but keep going back to that well of discussing debut issues of titles because while many comics may not even get to a tenth issue, they all have a first (or a zero issue, which is the case with one book I'm going to discuss). I've got a veritable ton of first/zero issues I've been able to sample lately so it is time to dive-in...

Many New Books
Redlands #1
I talked about how this title was getting very hot in The Hot Comics Revue and it is nice to see when a book is both popular and very, very good. Written and colored by Jordie Bellaire (whom I've recognized as a stellar colorist before but haven't seen as a writer previously) with art by Vanessa Del Rey, this is a first issue that is clearly setting-up a lot without revealing too much at the same time. We see how it is about a corrupt town being overtaken by supernatural forces that also have a moral agenda of giving power to the disenfranchised--so horror with a social message, which is my favorite kind of horror. It's grim, violent, and I really enjoyed reading it. Redlands will have a second printing soon but until then your best bet for getting a copy is eBay or MyComicShop.
4.5 out of 5 stars.

Mister Miracle #1
Another title featured in my first Hot Comics Revue, this book is written by the talented Tom King with Mitch Gerards providing the artwork. People are absolutely fawning over this book and I thought it was pretty good but don't quite see why people are going crazy about it. It's weird and off-kilter, has a real ominous feel, and Gerards artwork is amazing, but I don't really feel myself hooked-in yet. I'm willing to be patient however because while, "The Vision," grabbed me right away King's, "Omega Men," took a bit to really get going, but once it did that was a stellar book. As this puppy is so hot until there is a new printing you're going to need to do eBay or MyComicShop to get any copies, or find a shop that inexplicably isn't sold out.
3.5 out of 5 stars.

Galaktikon #1
I am a fan of Brendon Small's work from Adult Swim's shows, "Home Movies, " and, "Metalocalypse," so when I heard he had a comic coming out I was excited to read it! I then learned the comic is actually an adaptation of sorts of a music album which has a sequel album coming-out soon as well--so that's interesting! Having read this first issue I now am actually a bit interested in checking-out the music as this was a oddly enjoyable title. Equal parts funny and depressing, watching a once-beloved hero of space deal with the difficulties of life via a ton of alcohol is sad, but the book's dark sense of humor carries it through pretty nicely. I liked it a lot and look forward to the next issue as well as giving Small's album a listen whilst I wait in the meantime. You can currently grab copies of the first issue of, "Galaktikon," on eBay or at MyComicShop.
4 out of 5 stars.

Danger Doll Squad #0
I've read the, "Dollface," comic before and this title brings her, the cult-hit Zombie Tramp, and another solo-character known as Vampblade together to form a team/squad. As is the trend with any comics featuring these characters there is a lot of humor, a lot of violence, and a whole lot of variant covers (with some featuring plenty of nudity). I was honestly a little disappointed in this zero issue as it does introduce us to all the characters and makes us aware of who they are, but does little else. After one big prologue we basically jump right into the action briefly before being told to pick-up the official #1 issue in October as well as future issues of, "Vampblade," for more set-up. It's a decent primer on all the characters, but that's about it. You can still find some of the zero-issue covers at Things From Another World and eBay is of course a great resource as well should you want to grab all the assorted covers!
2.5 out of 5 stars.

Ghost Money #1
I've enjoyed speaking with publisher Lion Forge before and they always put out an interesting assortment of books. This new series continues that trend with a yarn about terrorism, money, and politics. Starting in the past before moving about ten-ish years into a potential future, the book imagines a world full of hateful Neo-Cons, rampant Global Warming, and abject poverty...so basically what the world is like now but with slightly more advanced cars and even more drones clogging-up the sky. It's a dark and ominous book, and I quite liked it although the first issue just seems to kind of suddenly-stop as opposed to ending on a solid cliff-hanger or making it clear what the next issue might hold. It's a solid read though and as the story is further fleshed-out I bet things will only get more fascinating and depressing. You can find the first issue of, "Ghost Money," on eBay or at MyComicShop.
3.5 out of 5 stars.

Dead of Winter #1

The third book in this review-segment which also was mentioned in The Hot Comics Revue with this discussed as a title that might get pretty steamy/popular if fans of the game are into it. Based on the tabletop game of the same name, the first issue of, "Dead of Winter," is a fine read. For a comic set in a winter-filled zombie apocalypse there is actually a good deal of humor, but I found most of the characters were pretty paper-thin in terms of personality outside of the start of the comic, a dog named Sparky. It feels like he get the most character development of anyone and he can't even talk! I still enjoyed reading the comic however and imagine if I were well-versed in the game I might have gotten a bunch of references and enjoyed it even more. You can still buy copies at Things From Another World as of this posting should you desire!

3 out of 5 stars.

Tales of Science Fiction: Vault #1
Published by a comic-company--Storm King--that seems to release titles related-to or supervised by John Carpenter, their latest mini-series, "Vault," is a horror-influenced sci-fi tale with a first issue that frankly is a bit of a mess. The back of the comic explains the plot more clearly than the inside of the comic as the plot jumps all around in time, too many characters pop-up only to be easily confused with other characters in bland space-suits, and random stuff about space-fungus or monsters occurs...or something? It's really quite bad besides some decent artwork and I can't exactly recommend it, but should you want a copy MyComicShop or eBay are as always good places to buy from.
1 out of 5 stars.

Grumpy Cat/Garfield #1
I of course have a soft-spot for Grumpy Cat ever since it was the first book to, "Blurb," me on the back-cover as a reviewer. I also enjoyed reading old Garfield newspaper comic-strips when growing-up and have at times perused his comic-book. Considering how both cats are full of attitude, it makes sense for them to meet--and why not have them meet in a format they both excel in, comics? It is a little disappointing that our two stars don't meet until the end of the first issue (so the second issue will be fun for sure), but plenty of plot and funny jokes occur in this issue to make it well worth picking-up. Basically an evil CEO has a way to make cats behave more like dogs and needs some of the most difficult cats in the World to test his program before he sells it to the general populace in the hopes of making major moolah. Therefore, we witness in this issue Garfield and Grumpy being stolen through some clever methods. It's great silly fun and I would recommend it if you want to have a good laugh! Copies of one cover can still be bought at Things From Another World and eBay is a great site if you're after the assortment of variants.
5 out of 5 stars.

I Need a Break!
After reviewing eight new books I need to sit-down and take a breather. I hope you enjoyed reading my meandering thoughts on these assorted new comics and were inspired to check at least one or two of them out (or now know what to avoid if it isn't for you). I'd get up and shake your hand to thank-you for reading all this, but I'm a little winded so, let's just nod and I'll lie down here for a moment till the hurting stops.

The Debut of The Hot Comics Revue!

The Hot Comics Revue Has Its Debut!

I am of course friends with the great folk over at Comics Heating Up. My chums there often will discuss comics that they can see possibly heating up (speculation, as it is called). With the blessing of CHU's founder, Tony, I have my own segment "The Hot Comics Revue," which looks at recent-ish releases and covers what is warming-up, red-hot, and has the potential to get steamy. If you're looking for advice on upcoming comics to possibly buy I would for sure recommend visiting CHU, and if you'd like discussion of what has been released read on for the first-ever edition of this new segment!

Books That Are Warming-Up

Alien Bounty Hunter #1
This first issue is from the newer publisher Vault and already has Mark Wahlberg attached as a producer for a tentative movie. As this is past the, "Maybe-getting-optioned," stage and instead has Marky-Marky clearly determined to make it into a flick this baby is starting to warm-up, with the first issue already selling-out at Diamond and a second-printing on the way. Assuming a movie does get made--and if it is good--this puppy could keep getting warmer and warmer. Copies of the first issue are actually still available at Things From Another World and MyComicShop or eBay are great to use as well.

Black #1-#6
"Black," is a book that had a highly successful Kickstarter and went on to be published by Black Mask Comics. It takes place in a world where only a small percentage of people have super-powers, and they also are always black individuals. The six-issue mini-series (which just concluded) explores race, super-powers, and was a title I recognized when discussing my favorite reads of 2016. It was just optioned so expect the value of these books to skyrocket if a film is made! You can currently pre-order the trade at Things From Another World  to enjoy reading or find individual issues on eBay and MyComicShop.

Books That Are Currently Red-Hot

Mister Miracle #1
Tom King is a stellar writer whose 12-issue series have been great reads. He of course did, "The Omega Men," and, "The Vision," which now brings us to, "Mister Miracle." This puppy has sold-out everywhere and already is going for triple cover-price on eBay after having come out just this week. "Mister Miracle," is a runaway hit and clearly on fire! Should you want a copy be prepared to check MyComicShop or the aforementioned eBay and expect to already pay well above cover.

Redlands #1
A hot new horror title from Image, a second-printing was announced the day of this comic's release. A retailer appreciation variant was made too and is worth picking-up if you can locate it. As this title is hard to find your best bet is eBay or MyComicShop should your local shop not have it in stock.


Books With Steamy Potential

Dead of Winter #1
This comic actually draws from the popular tabletop game of the same name which looked really fun when I read some details about playing it. I've seen theorizing that as fans of the game learn about the comic it will become more and more sought-after, so this is a possible slow-burn. Grab a copy on eBay or MyComicShop and sit on it for a bit till the smoke starts forming, so-to-speak.

Slasher (The Series So Far)
This could be a long-shot, but I have an inkling about this title. Written and drawn by Charles Forsman, one of his earlier works, "The End of the Fucking World," has been made into a television show that will air in Canada and be available worldwide via Netflix. It has been getting some buzz and that makes me wonder if his current comic--this fascinating series titled, "Slasher," might start looking attractive to T.V. or movie studios with its weird mixture of sex, violence, and pathos. I personally would love a show based on this fantastic comic after reading what has come out so far and if such a thing gets made I could see this series really heating-up. There are a lot of, "If's," here, but I just have a feeling mixed with a hope that this baby gets popular if for no other reason than it is really worth reading. Issues can be found at Things From Another World, on MyComicShop, or of course via eBay.