“Devil Said Bang” by Richard Kadrey (Voyager)

How do you rule the unruly? Sandman Slim in Hell! Again…

While ruling the denizens of darkness does have a few perks, James Stark isn’t exactly thrilled at the course his career (not to mention his soul) has taken. Breaking out of Hell once was a miraculous trick. But twice? If anyone can do it, it’s Sandman Slim. While he’s working out the details of his latest escape plan, Slim has to figure out how to run his new domain and hold off a host of trigger-happy killers mesmerized by that bulls-eye on his back. Everyone in Heaven, Hell, and in between wants to be the fastest gun in the universe, and the best way to prove it is to take down the new Lucifer, aka Sandman Slim aka James Stark.

Then again, LA isn’t quite the paradise it once was since he headed south. A serial killer ghost is running wild and his angelic alter-ago is hiding somewhere in the lost days of time with a secret cabal who can rewrite reality. And starting to care about people and life again is a real bitch for a stone-cold killer

Ah, Sandman Slim… One of the best Urban Fantasy series on the market reaches its fourth volume. If you’re looking for a gritty tale of Heaven, Hell, Nephilim, batshit crazy supernatural people and creatures, weird hoodoo, and weird shenanigans, there’s really no better series or author to turn to. This series is a must-read.

[Disclaimer: There are some minor spoilers for the previous books in the series, but I’ve tried to keep the review short and to-the-point.]

Upcoming: Marvel “Secret Origins” (Or, “WTF, Marvel?”)

It appears that Marvel will be releasing a line of “Secret Origin” comics. If that sounds familiar, it’s because DC did that for a number of characters pre-New 52 (Green Lantern and Superman, for example, both written by Geoff Johns). First up is an image that is kind of disturbing…

I know I’ve been mocking Marvel a fair bit for the way they talk/write about their Marvel NOW “Not A Reboot Honest” initiative, but sometimes I think they are unaware of the fact that they’re not fooling anyone. I do enjoy a good number of their titles (old and new), and I will probably always read their series. Captain America by Ed Brubaker (and Winter Soldier, a companion series of sorts), Mark Waid’s new Indestructible Hulk, Avenging Spider-Man, and any number of others are superb. But seriously, stop pretending that you’re not playing catch-up with DC.

“I Steve Rogers… Do Solemnly Swear…”

Wait, what? Here’s the email subject line that greeted me when I got in to work this morning:

Captain America Elected President Of The United States of America!

Given a glitch with my work computer, I wasn’t able to look at the preview pages that were attached to the email, but I thought I’d share a couple of them here. Because this is… an interesting development. I’d been watching some of the Ultimate Comics Ultimates previews and story comments for a while, and particularly the “Divided We Stand” story-arc that seems to be bridging a handful of the UC line (Spider-Man and X-Men at least). However, I’m not really sure what I make of it, now…

Here’s what Marvel Entertainment’s Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso had to say of the development:

“This is one of those stories that could only be told in the Ultimate Comics Universe, where the only rule is simple – there are no rules… We’ve seen Captain America fight wars and battle super villains, but running a country is a whole new challenge – but don’t worry, this isn’t about political speeches and closed door meetings. This is exactly the kind of high-octane, super powered thrill ride you’d expect from a book called The Ultimates!”

Hm… Colour me skeptical.

Sam Humphries, who scripted the issue (and also works on Fanboys vs. Zombies for Boom Studios) said:

“Captain America was created in 1941, but this is the first time he’s been made Commander in Chief. It’s an honor to write a landmark milestone for such an iconic character… We’ve made a commitment in Ultimates to show how epic events have significant consequences. President Cap is no different. This will have a lasting impact on Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, and the whole team.”

Also:

Seriously?

On a happier note, the cover for issue 15 is pretty badass:

Ok, I vote Thor for President!

(Putting the “God” in “In God We Trust”? Too far…?)

“Minimum” Carnage…?

Ok, I don’t mean to beat up on Marvel all week, but this can’t be a serious advertisement:

That’s right: Minimum Carnage… That word is hardly in the approved Selling Point handbook, and is utterly opposite to Marvel’s penchant for “Ultimate”, “Uncanny”, “Amazing”, “Astonishing” and other grab-words.

Minimum Carnage… What’s next? “Canny X-Men”?* “Average Avengers”?

* In this incarnation, they are all from the North of England…

“Redshirts” by John Scalzi (Tor/Gollancz)

You’re an Extra. You are not long for this universe… [Or: “All your lives are belong to us…”]

Ensign Andrew Dahl has just been assigned to the Universal Union Capital Ship Intrepid, flagship of the Universal Union since the year 2456. It’s a prestige posting, and Andrew is thrilled all the more to be assigned to the ship’s Xenobiology laboratory.

Life couldn’t be better… until Andrew begins to pick up on the fact that (1) every Away Mission involves some kind of lethal confrontation with alien forces, (2) the ship’s captain, its chief science officer, and the handsome Lieutenant Kerensky always survive these confrontations, and (3) at least one low-ranked crew member is, sadly, always killed.

Not surprisingly, a great deal of energy below decks is expended on avoiding, at all costs, being assigned to an Away Mission. Then Andrew stumbles on information that completely transforms his and his colleagues’ understanding of what the starship Intrepid really is…and offers them a crazy, high-risk chance to save their own lives.

I really have no idea how to review this novel… The potential for spoilers is just too great. Which is a pity, as the novel is filled with quotable passages. I’d been really looking forward to this ever since it was first announced – it sounded like an endearing parody of the tropes of old sci-fi movies and fiction. As it turned out, that is exactly what a lot of this novel is. I certainly enjoyed it, and read it at near-record speed (for me), but I do have mixed feelings about the book as a whole.

“Morning Glories” Vol.1 (Image)

A mystifying, engrossing series…

Writer: Nick Spencer | Artist: Joe Eisma | Colours: Alex Sollazzo

Morning Glory Academy is one of the most prestigious prep schools in the country, but something sinister and deadly lurks behind its walls. When six gifted but troubled new students arrive, they find themselves trapped and fighting for their lives as the secrets of the academy reveal themselves!

This is a little difficult to review at length, given the comic’s nature and the fact that I’m still not entirely sure what’s going on. This latter point is not, however, in a bad way. Morning Glories shows that a little mystery can go a long way to keeping readers interested and coming back for more. This is a twisted comic, but one that has a lot of potential.

“Chew, Vol.2: International Flavor” (Image)

Writer: John Layman | Artist: Rob Guillory

Cibopathic detective Tony Chu – able to get psychic impressions from whatever he eats – has a strange new case. A newly-discovered fruit which, when cooked, tastes remarkably like chicken, leads Chu to a small Western Pacific island – an island full of secrets, intrigue... and murder!

Just a quick review, this. This volume of Layman and Guillory’s delightfully weird series displays the same strengths and humour as Taster’s Choice. This made me laugh and cringe, but was always entertaining and addictive.

“Animal Man, Vol.1: The Hunt” (DC)

An intriguing, twisted, and bizarre series.

Writer: Jeff Lemire | Artist: Travel Foreman, John Paul Leon ("Tights") & Steve Pugh | Inks: Jeff Huet & Dan Green | Colours: Lovern Kindzierski

In these tales from issues #1-6 of the new series, Buddy Baker has gone from “super” man to family man – but is he strong enough to hold his family together when Maxine, his young daughter, starts to manifest her own dangerous powers? As these new abilities continue to terrify Buddy and his wife Ellen, things take a turn for the worse as Buddy and Maxine begin a journey into the heart of The Red.

This series received a rather unprecedented amount of praise, when it was first coming out. I wasn't able to find a copy of issue one in stores for a long time and, coupled with my only being newly returned to comics, this just seemed a little too weird for me. Nevertheless, when this collection was finally released, I decided I wanted to know what all the fuss was about. Given what I now know about comics, I can see why this was popular. However, I’m not sure it was really for me, despite some very cool things about it…

“Chew Volume 1: Taster’s Choice” (Image)

Writer: John Layman | Artist: Rob Guillory

Tony Chu is a detective with a secret. A weird secret. Tony Chu is Cibopathic, which means he gets psychic impressions from whatever he eats. It also means he's a hell of a detective, as long as he doesn't mind nibbling on the corpse of a murder victim to figure out whodunit, and why. He’s been brought on by the Special Crimes Division of the FDA, the most powerful law enforcement agency on the planet, to investigate their strangest, sickest, and most bizarre cases.

This series is so delightfully weird! Chew is zany and tongue-in-cheek, with a brilliant, bizarre premise. Detective Tony Chu is a “cibopath” (see image below for explanation of how this effects his diet). One night, he goes for an illicit chicken dinner, only to stumble onto the trail of a serial killer. What follows is his transformation from simple detective to FDA Special Crimes Investigator extraordinaire. If you want a comic that breaks boundaries and is funny and disturbing in almost equal measure, then I would definitely recommend you give Chew a read.