Y - The Last Man

Title:Y - The Last Man

Genre: Sci-Fi/Post-Apocalyptic/Adventure

Story: Brian K. Vaughan

Art: Goran Sudžuka, Pai Guerra, Paul Chadwick

Publisher: Vertigo

Year: 2004-2008

Issues: 21-40 of 60

Rate: 90/100

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(previous entry)

WIKI: Y: The Last Man is a dystopian science fiction comic book series by Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra published by Vertigo beginning in 2002. The series is about the only man to survive the apparent simultaneous death of every male mammal (barring the same man's pet monkey) on Earth. The series was published in sixty issues by Vertigoand collected in a series of ten paperback volumes (and later a series of five hardcover "Deluxe" volumes). The series' covers were primarily by J. G. Jones and Massimo Carnevale. The series received five Eisner Awards.

The Chimpanzee Complex

Title: The Chimpanzee Complex

Genre: Sci-Fi

Story: Richard Marazano

Art: Jean Michel Ponzio

Publisher: Dargaud/Cinebook

Issues: 01-03 of 03
Year: 2009-2010

Rate: 88/100

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PROMO: In 2035, the US Navy discovers a strange space capsule that has crashed in the Indian Ocean. Helen Friedman is in charge of interrogating the two survivors, who are none other than Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin! Who, then, are the men who came back from the 1969 Apollo XI mission? A lunar expedition is set up to elucidate this mystery. Friedman is involved in a case that will lead her much further than she ever expected as history is rewritten.

REVIEW: Jedan od boljih evropskih komada devete umetnosti u poslednjih par godina. 

Moglo bi dosta reči hvale da se izreknu na njegov račun, zaista. O samoj priči ne bih mnogo, ona je uzbudljiva i misteriozna, dovoljno zanimljiva da vas vuče dalje. O vizuelnom momentu ne vredi ni pričati, jer će vas slike priložene uz tekst svakako oduševiti i ubediti bolje od bilo koje moje (nedestojne) reči. Ono o čemu se mroa pričati jeste atmosfera ovog stripa. Ono što ste osećali čitajući klarkovu "Odiseju" osetićete i ovde. Ta slamajuća veličina svemira, njegova za čovekov ograničen um istinski neshvatljiva priroda, taj

osećaj malenosti, nebitnosti i sveobuhvatnog strahopoštovanja prema nepoznatom stalno će biti prisutan. 

Blaga jeza odmah ispod kože, u korenu vaših dlačica.

Northlanders Vol.1

Title: Northlanders Vol.1

Genre: History/Mythology/Fantasy

Story: Brian Wood

Art: Dave Gobbons, Davide Glanfelice...

Publisher: Vertigo

Issues: 01-08

Year: 2008

Rate; 80/100

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PROMO: In this first volume collecting NORTHLANDERS #1-8, DMZ writer Brian Wood stabs Viking lore in the face with a fresh take on what it means to be a warrior. Meet Sven, an exiled Viking prince who must return to the desolate lands of his birth to reclaim his vast inheritance upon the death of his father. See why Entertainment Weekly calls it "a well-reserched, richly realized world that illuminates politics and culture without getting bogged down in history-book stuff."

Sweet Tooth (part 2)

Title: Sweet Tooth

Genre: Post-Apocalyptic, Sci-Fi, Mythology, Religion

Story and Art: Jeff Lemire

Publihser: Vertigo

Issues: 20-40 of 40

Year: 2011-2013

Rate: 98/100 (One of the best comic series EVER!)

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PROMO: (from "vertigocomics.com" for "Vol. 6" of ST) In this final SWEET TOOTH collection featuring issues #33-40, Dr. Singh arrives in Alaska and uncovers both the origins of Gus and the hybrid children and the cause of the plague that decimated the world. And as Gus and Jepperd come face to face with the truth, the militia continues to bear down on them.

REVIEW: 
"The gods stopped listening to your kind a long time ago"
 U prethodnom unosu o ovom stripu, koji je sebi nosio linkove ka prvi devetnaest brojeva, u osnovnim crtama smo predstavili svet "Slatkog Zuba", pa se na tome ne bi smo zadržavali. 

Koliki god da je potencijal u toj svojoj prvoj polovini ovaj strip pokazivao, kolika god čuda da je obećavao, ono što nam autor donosi nakon dvadesete sveske prevazilazi verovatno i očekivanja njega samog. Priča koja je pred vama - zahvaljujući internet pirateriji dostupna sasvim besplatno (no, ukoliko ste u mogućnosti naručite, kupite papirnato izdanje, podržite ovog vansreijskog umetnika) je jedna od najboljih momenata vascele, bogate istorije post-apokaliptičnih i naučno fantastičnih priča čitavopg ljudskog roda. 

Kako se odgovori na pitanja postavljana u prvim brojevima budu nizali, tako će rasti vaša ljubav prema ovom stripu. Dobijajući sve dublju mitološku, religioznu notu, progresivno sve više anti-humanu, sve jaču "post-humanu", "novo-humanu" emociju, postaje bolji i bolji svakom stranom. Religiozan da, ali donekle odbacujući Hrišćanstvo i sve monoteističke religije, okreće se paganizmu, prirodi, ekologiji. Ovo je priča o ljudima, o rasi koja je izgubila vezu sa svojim korenima, izgubila ljubav prema svom svetu, kojoj je moć udarila u glavu. Ljudska okrutnost je sveprisutna u ovoj priči, toliko da vremenom postaje opšte mesto, baš kao što je i u stavrnom svetu. Ljudi progone hibride, ubijaju ih, međusobno se ubijaju, kradu jendi od drugih, bore za opstanak i ličnu korist koristeći najsurovije metode. Nedela i ogavnosti čoveka s enižu u nedogled. Iako se ista gotovo gradiraju, bivajući gora i gora sa svakom stranom, čovek ostaje tup na kraju, toliko zgađen svojom rasom, da više i ne može da se uznemiri ili razočara. Sa bolom u srcu i mučninom u stomaku shvata da je kazna zaslužena.

Jeff Lemire je pre "Slatkog Zuba" imao dobrih priča, imaće verovtano i nakon, ali da li će ga ikada prevazići? Teško. Neverovatno koliko je raširio krila tokom ove serije, koliko je čarobno vodio priču celom svojom dužinom. Njegovi likovi graniče se sa onim iz "Čarobnjaka iz Oza", strašljivi lav ili glupavo strašilo tamo, ovde pametna devojčica-svinja, neodoljivi jelen-dečak... Ljudski karakteri su takođe za pamćenje, gotovo svi su činili zlo, svi sa bogatim i potresnim ličnim pričama. Oni retki su uvideli novu stvarnost, digli ruke od sebičnog i uzaludnog traženja leka za umiruću rasu i odlučili da pomognu novoj, da preživi, da se uzdigne, da nanovo naseli planetu.
Crtež i kolor stripa su konstatno u kategoriji "vanserijski", često do broja do broja sasvim menjajući vizuelni stil stripa (što s evidi na priloženim stranicama).
Generalno, strip dominira na svim poljima, toliko ubeldjivo da tera čovekad a poveruje u postojanje antičkih muza - jerbo mu je tako lakše da sopstvenu inferiornost preboli.

Da, konstantno ovu priču svrstavam u post-apokaliptični koš, ali ona je to samo iz ugla čoveka. Ovo jeste priča o jednom kraju, ali takođe i o jednom početku. O pobedi prirode i bogova nad svojom izgubljenom decom i stvaranju savršenijih stvorova - "čovaka pokušaj  drugi", ovog puta daleko vezanijeg za prirodu, da nikada više ne počini iste greške. Apokalipsa jedne civilizacije koja ništa do apokalipse nije zaslužila i uzdizanje jedne nove, pravednije i lepše.

Žanr - post-hate&war. Žanr - mir&ljubav"

The Nikopol Trilogy

Title: The Nikopol Trilogy

Genre: Sci-Fi

Story and Art: Enki Bilal

Publisher: Humanoids Publishing

Issues: 01-03 (176 pages)

Year: 1980-1992

Rate: 85/100

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WIKI: The Nikopol Trilogy is a series of three science fiction graphic novels written in French by Yugoslavian born Enki Bilal between 1980 and 1992. The original French titles of the series are La Foire aux immortels (1980), La Femme piège (1986), and Froid Équateur (1992), which in 1995 were collected together in a single volume entitled Trilogie Nikopol. The individual stories were translated into English and published by Humanoids Publishing under the titles Gods in Chaos, The Woman Trap, and Cold Equator.^[1] In 1999, the trilogy was also published in English as a single volume, The Nikopol Trilogy.

The central plot of the trilogy, set in 2023 Paris, follows Alcide Nikopol who returns from a 30-year sentence spent orbiting the Earth under cryopreservation to find France under fascist rule following two nuclear wars.

The books have been adapted into the video game Nikopol: Secrets of the Immortals, published by White Birds Productions, and a movie, entitled Immortal.

REVIEW: Pred nama je biser evropskog stripa. Legenda. Nezaobilazna tačka u procesu edukacije i spoznaje medija. Enki Bilal, autor trilogije, je legenda sam po sebi i čitav njegov opus je vredan čitanja, ako ne i posedovanja u okvirima kućne biblioteke. Ovaj blog bivajući posvećen edukaciji stripovski nepismene srbadije, kao i širenju ljubavi prema devetoj umetnosti generalno, će u budućnosti na svojim stranama naći mesta za još dosta naslova ovog autora, kao i, do sada nepravedno zapostavljenog, evropskog stripa uopšte.

Nikopol trilogija jeste bilalovo možda i najpoznatije delo, strip koji je ekranizovan, a takođe i preveden u interaktivni oblik, u vidu avanturističke video igre - što se sve skupa prilično retko dešava evropskim stripovima. No, koliko god želeo ovde samo i isključivo hvaliti, to ne mogu. Sastavljena iz (da ne poverujete) tri dela, ova priča nemilosrdno biva ispuštena, slomljena i nikada popravljena u trećem, finalnom aktu. Koliko je prvi deo bio sumorna vizija budućnosti, tmurno prikazan Pariz (kulturološki centar Evrope) kao fašistički, izvitopereni Vavilon novog doba, u kome vlast propisuje modu, kontroliše medije... koliko je bio uspešna i duboka kritika fašizma, diktatura, sistema generalno, koliko je drugi album bio rođen iz halucinacija, sasvim posvećen novoj vrsti droge koja čini da zaboravite sve nemilo iz prošlosti, koliko je bio seksipilan na bolestan i uznemirujuć način, koliko su nas oba oduševljavala hrabrim idejama o egipatskim bogovima koji se vraćaju na planetu zemlju, toliko je treći deo jednostavno... loš. Haotičan, bezidejan, na kraju - nepotreban.

Žal je večna što Bilal nije imao snage da na svojim plećima u potpunosti iznese remek-delo u nastajanju, no čak i ovako, donekle krnje, u pitanju jeste spektakulanro, neponovljivo putovanje, obavezno za svakog ljubitelja stripa, ako ne zbog neospornih kvaliteta, a ono upravo zbog značaja za sam strip generalno i vašu opštu kulturu.

U pitanju je evropski strip od početka do kraja! Albumi od pedesetak strana, sa daleko "umetničkijim" vizuelnim karakterom od prekookeanskih parnjaka, što se najbolje da videti na priloženim isečcima. Bez američkog tabua na naga tela i krv, brutalan, perverzan, uvrnut, narkoticima napumpan od samih početaka, pa sve do kraja koji kao da je pisan u potpunom bunilu. 

Sweet Tooth

 Title: Sweet Tooth

Genre: Sci-Fi/post-apocalyptic

Story: Jeff Lemire

Art: Jeff Lemire

Publisher: Vertigo

Issues: 01-19 of 40

Year: 2009 - 2011

 Rate: 95/100

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PROMO: "Writer and artist Jeff Lemire has created the new 'must read' book with SWEET TOOTH." — GEOFF JOHNS"Spellbinding and offbeat . . . emotionally charged." — USA TODAY"A grabber from the get-go..." — THE ONIONThe first five issues of Jeff Lemire's acclaimed new series introduce Gus, a rare new breed of human/animal hybrid who was raised in isolation following a pandemic that struck a decade earlier. Now, with the death of his father, he's left to fend for himself . . . until he meets a hulking drifter named Jepperd, who promises to help him. Jepperd and Gus set out on a post-apocalyptic journey into the devastated American landscape to find 'The Preserve,' a refuge for hybrids." (from vertigocomics.com, about "Sweet Tooth vol. 1")

REVIEW: Vertigo, pod-etiketa čuvenog DC Comics-a, je praktično od svog osnivanja sinonim za kvalitetan prekookeanski strip. Lično bih, bez trunke razmišljanja, menjao sav kusur američke industrije, sve plodove franko-belgijske, britanske i japanske tradicije stripa za kompletnu Vertigo biblioteku. Samo početi nabrajati autore koji su stvarali pod ovom etiketom i nazive serija objavljene pod tom istom etiketom bio bi bezvezno preopširan posao.

"Slatki Zub" je još jedan dragulj u kruni medija. 

Mnogo je postapokaliptičnih priča u poslednje vreme, što u stripu, na filmu, u žanrovskoj književnosti ili na televizije, ali "Slatki Zub" je vlasniku bloga možda i omiljena (a ne treba reći d aje autor bloga najveći fan postapokaliptičnih storija). 

Pre sedam godina svet je zadesila pandemija neke nove vrste kuge - smrtonosan, misteriozni virus koji je pre nego što je iko mogao da dođe sebi, srušio dotadašnji sistem. U isto vreme pojavljuju se hibridi - bebe koja su bila delom ljudska, delom animalna. Nekada je u novorođenčadima preovlađivalo zverinje, nekada ljudsko. Pa su neka deca bila nema, divlja, nakazna, a neka sasvim kreativna i inteligentna, sa tek par fizičkih anomalija. Junak ove priče spada negde između - poseduje moć govora, inteligenciju, samosvest, iako ni u ludilu se ne može nazvati najsvetlijom sijalicom u sobi. No, zašto je on zanimljiv (osim što je bezgranično sladak sa tim jelenjim rogovima)? Pa, hibridi su imuni na dotičnu kugu. Posle prvog talasa smrti, preživeli su poverovali da je prošlo, da su završili među srećnijima. No, onda su smrti nastavile, sasvim random pojavili bi se simptomi i ubrzo smrt. Ali hibridna deca nisu umirala. I tu kreće lov na iste. 

Dalje nećemo otkrivati.

Sama postavka, verujem, deluje dovoljno originalna, humana, topla (a, strip je sav takav, divan) da Vas zainteresuje? 

Mouse Guard - Winter 1152

Title: Моuse Guard - Winter 1152

Genre: Fantasy

Story: David Petersen

Art: David Petersen

Publisher: Archaia Studios Press

Year: 2007-2008

Issues: 01-06 of 06

Rate: 90/100

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PROMO: "In the Winter of 1152, the Mouse Guard face a food and supply shortage threatening the lives of many mouse through a cold and icy season. Some of the Guard's finest - Saxon, Kenzie, Lieam, and Sadie, led by Celanawe, the legendary Black Axe - traverse the snow-blanketed territories acting as diplomats to improve relations between the mouse cities and the Guard, and find themselves on a race against time to deliver crucial medicines. This is a winter not every Guard may survive... "

REVIEW: Evo, samo pisanje ovog blog unosa nekkao greje dušu. Pa, zamislite samo, uzmete miševe, "najmanje od stvorenja zemlje", podarite im skrivenu civilizaciju, smestite ih u epski srednji vek, nacrtate ih tako lepo, obojite ih tako živo i veselo i izmaštate njihove silne avanture - avanture malih, no beksrajno hrabrih stvorova u svetu velikih i moćnih. Mišija Garda (Straža) je oružana sila koja na okupu drži nezavisne mišije teritorije sastavljene iz  niza skrivenih i samostalnih mišijih naselja - parčence sveta iz kojeg su sitni glodari, manje-više, uspešno isterali grabljivice i koje sada s ponosom zovu svojom zemljom. To je opšta postavka ovog stripa. U pitanju je direktni nastavak Jeseni 1152 - tokom koje je moglo doći do krvavog građanskog, brato-mišoubilačkog rata. Došla je zima za koju miševi, nakon pomenutih burnih jesenjih događaja, nisu spremni. Štab garde je bez namirnica i njeni članovi su poslati na sve strane u nabavku... A, ono što je i u originalnoj priči bilo najfascinantnije - sukob miševa sa grabljivcima - i ovde je prisutno i jednako uzbudljivo. Ono što je za čoveka jedna od ptica na drvetu ili u vazduhu, za miša je opasnost najveća na svetu. Ono što je za junaka klasične epske fantastike zmaj, za naše male glodare je obična sova. To i jeste najveća vrednost ovog stripa - pored očigledne prijemčivosti za sve uzraste - izmeštanje perspektive, tako verno prikazana hipotetička, od očiju ljudi skrivena civilizacija.

Takođe se i međumišiji odnosi dalje razvijaju, svaki miš, ma koliko mali, postaje nam još draži, a jedan gine junačkom smrću, ostavljajući nas rastužene... 

Uskoro na stranama bloga i prolog posvećen famoznoj "Crnoj Sekiri", najvećem mišijem heroju svih vremena, a autor stripa polako radi na još jednoj mini-seriji koja će nam dočarati zimski rat 1149. godine, vođen između miševa i lasica. 

Punk Rock Jesus

Title: Punk Rock Jesus
Story: Sean Murphy
Art: Sean Murphy
Publisher: Vertigo
Year: 2012
Issues: 01-06 of 06
Rate: 79/100
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PROMO: The newest reality show hit has the unlikeliest celebrity of all in this new black and white miniseries from writer/artist Sean Murphy (JOE THE BARBARIAN, Off Road)! J2, the TV series starring a clone of Jesus Christ, causes chaos across a near-future United States in PUNK ROCK JESUS, a new miniseries written and drawn by Sean Murphy, the acclaimed illustrator of JOE THE BARBARIAN and AMERICAN VAMPIRE: SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST. J2 causes outrage and adulation. Religious zealots either love or hate the show, angry politicians worry about its influence on the nation, and members of the scientific community fear the implications of cloning a human being at all – let alone the Son of God. And what effect will this all have on Gwen, the young woman who is selected, through an American Idol-style process, to be the mother of the new Messiah? All this leads to the hiring of Thomas McKael, the clone’s bodyguard and a former IRA operative with a turbulent past who must protect the new Messiah – a baby who captivates the world, but grows up to become an angry teenager.

REVIEW: "PRJ" je, redom svaka sveska, pokupio sjajne ocene, na kraju godine našao se na svim relevantnim top-listama i pobrao neke od značajnijih nagrada u svojoj kategoriji (od popularnog geek sajta "IGN": "Najbolja nova mini-serija"), pa je bilo sasvim logično da zaluđenik poput mene baci oko na dotični strip, ako ništa drugo, a ono da ostane u toku. Bačen pogled, a zatim i strip bačen u zapećak. Za mene, a verujem i većinu fanova medija, u najmanju ruku jednako vizuelna, koliko i literarna kategorija. Ukoliko je strip odbojan oku, teško se teram čitanju, pa makar i vanvremenske priče. Kao što možete videti na priloženim stranama u pitanju je b&w strip, što je nije loše samo po sebi. Vizuelni problem ovog dela je prenatrpanost scena, ono što se nekada dešava japanskim mangama, ovde je dovedeno do apsurda. Haotične, prebogate scene koje iziskuju više do tri-četiri momenta samo da bi se shvatilo šta je sve tu, zapravo, prikazano. Par strana koje su jednostavnije prosto dolaze kao odmor oku. 

No, sve to bi se dalo progutati, da je priča zaista odlična. Nije odlična! Sama ideja, onako u glavi autora, bačena u sažetku na papir deluje genijalna: kloniran Isus Hrist, veštački oplođena, de facto devica, sve to smešteno na izolovano ostrvo, pokriveno kamerama, snimano i emitovano dan-noć u domove amerikanaca (i ljudi širom sveta) u vidu novog hit rijaliti šou programa. Religijska osnova priče pružala je niz mogućnosti za zaista kontraverzne, provokativne igrarije, sulude zaplete, priču daleko dužu od šest brojeva, ona se pak brzo svela na klasičnu anti-religijsku, ateističku propagandu. Predstavljanje hrišćana kao masnih i tupavih spodoba ispranih mozgova, frljanja naučnim činjenicama o evoluciji, propagiranja bednog anarho-panka i slično... Iako je sam kraj zapravo dobar - fino prikazuje kako zapravo nastaju religije i kako se lako mogu izopačiti izvorna učenja mesija, iako kroz strip prozuji nekoliko likova koji nisu karikature zatucanih hrišćana, već religioznost/duhovnost shvataju na nešto drugačiji način (mada i to su klišei i poštoapalice o veri u "nekakvu silu"), generalno prilično neinspirativno. 

Dakle, prilično negativna recenzija, a opet prilično visoka ocena? Ideja je sjajna, realizacija ukupno ipka ne toliko očajna, negativnost je tu pre svega zbog razočarenja, zbog propuštene šanse da dobijemo legendarni strip... Vredno čitanja, ipak.

The Clockwork Girl

Title: The Clockwork Girl

Genre: Steampunk/fantasy/all-ages

Created by: Kevin Hanna and Sean O'Reilly

Publisher: Arcana Studios

Year: 2007-2008

Issues: 00-04 (complete)

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PROMO: Having sold more than 300,000 copies in a series of five comic books, The Clockwork Girl is now a luscious graphic novel. It’s a tale unlike any other, a journey into a faraway land where the Clockwork Girl lives—a ticking robot girl with mechanical limbs and a voice of her own.

Against all odds, she finds companionship in Huxley, the amazing mutant circus boy who risks his life to be with her. Together they tackle questions like what man can feel that a machine or mutant can’t, what loneliness is, and what love is.

But can a robot girl feel true love? Will this futuristic Romeo and Juliet survive the threats of their warring families?

REVIEW: Retko kada čovek naleti na nešto ovoliko lepo i duboko humano, što ga natera da zastane, uspori i voli život. Ovo je kratka i stara, ko zna koliko puta do sada ispričana priča, samo odenuta u novo ruho i ponuđena gladnima. Ukoliko volite "Čarobnjak iz Oza", "Alisu u zemlji čuda" i slične klasike, svakako ćete i u priči o curi od zupčanika i zavrtnja (simpatično nazvanoj Tesla) naći ponešto za sebe. 

Suštinski šekspirovska priča o dve zavađene porodice, obe posvećene sanjarskom cilju stvaranja veštačkog života. Ciljevi isti, ali putanje do njih sasvim drugačije - jedna okrenuta nauci, progresu i hladnom čeliku, druga prirodnjačka, ekološka. Jedan namrgođeni starac do novog života pokušava doći hefestovskim, a drugi frankenštajnovskim metodama. Lagana simbolika tako ugodna današnjem svetu u kome se priroda i tehnologija neprekindo sukobljavaju. 

No, nema potrebe širiti priču pretencioznostima, jer ovo je ipak ljubavna storija, nevina i prelepa, usto upakovana u predivni crtež i tople boje.

Beasts of Burden

Title: Beasts of Burden

Genre: Horror

Story: Evan Dorkin

Art: Jil Thompson

Publisher: Dark Horse Comics

Year: 2009

Issues: 01-04

Rate: 90/100

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PROMO: Welcome to Burden Hill-a picturesque little town adorned with white picket fences and green, green grass, home to a unique team of paranormal investigators. Beneath this shiny exterior, Burden Hill harbors dark and sinister secrets, and it's up to a heroic gang of dogs-and one cat-to protect the town from the evil forces at work. These are the Beasts of Burden Hill-Pugs, Ace, Jack, Whitey, Red and the Orphan-whose early experiences with the paranormal (including a haunted doghouse, a witches' coven, and a pack of canine zombies) have led them to become members of the Wise Dog Society, official animal agents sworn to protect their town from evil. This turns out to be no easy task, as they soon encounter demonic cannibal frogs, tortured spirits, a secret rat society, and a bizarre and deadly resurrection in the Burden Hill cemetery-events which lead to fear and heartbreak as our four-legged heroes discover that the evil within Burden Hill is growing and on the move. Can our heroes overcome these supernatural menaces? Can evil be bested by a paranormal team that doesn't have hands? And even more importantly, will Pugs ever shut the hell up?

Mystique

Title: Mystique

Genre: Superhero

Story: Brian K. Vaughan, Sean McKeever

Art: Jorge Lucas, Manuel Garcia...

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Year: 2003-2005

Issues: 01-24 of 24

Rate: 75/100

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PROMO: Writer Vaughan (Y: The Last Man) deftly straddles the line between superhero story and spy thriller with this series. Bad-girl shape-shifter Mystique, who can look and sound like anyone, is forced into working for X-Men leader Professor Charles Xavier (her former enemy), in exchange for protection from the many governments and other groups that want her dead. Mystique serves as an agent for Xavier, carrying out missions with which he cannot be associated should they come to light. Vaughan stresses how little anyone trusts Mystique, and how little she trusts anyone else in return. He enlivens the basic premise with sharp dialogue, smart characterizations and innovative uses for a shape-shifter's powers (e.g., taking the form of a child to force soldiers into hesitating during a crucial firefight, or creating a pouch behind her stomach to smuggle illicit firearms through airport security). Mystique's handlers come in the form of longtime X-Man Forge, who can build anything, and tiny tough guy Shortpack, a six-inch-tall telepath who provides witty banter. Lucas's art is clean, clear and nicely depicts subtle emotions, which is handy, since Vaughan packs this thriller with dramatic tension. Don't let the pinup-worthy cover fool you: Mystique is a smart, engaging piece of espionage fiction that shows that the superhero story isn't dead yet. 

Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse

Title: Wormwood - Gentleman Corpse

Genre: Horror/Comedy

Story: Ben Templesmith

Art: Ben Templesmith

Publisher: IDW Publishing

Year: 2006-2007

Issues: 00-07 (series: "The Taster", "Birds, Bees, Blood and Booze" and "It Only Hurts When I Pee")

Rate: 93/100

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PROMO: Meet Wormwood, the English-accented, beer-drinking, sentient corpse possessing a maggot expat from the Hell dimension. Well, one of them. If he's not attempting to save Earth from demonic, parasitic fungal infections or undead strippers, then he's off drinking with his homemade mechanical sidekick, Mr. Pendulum.

War of the Undead

Title: War of the Undead
Genre: Horror
Story: Bryan Johnson
Art: Walter Flanagan
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Year: 2007
Issues: 01-03 of 03
Rate: 80/100
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PROMO: In East Germany in 1945, Hitler has committed suicide and the war is over, but a secret cabal of Nazis have an insane plan to resurrect Hitler's soul from Hell and place it in an earthly vessel. To do this, the Nazis will have to gather the Earth's greatest monsters: Dracula, the werewolf and Frankenstein's monster! World War II might soon be over... but THE WAR OF THE UNDEAD is just beginning. This collection compiles the three-part miniseries plus the exclusive 9-page preview story, too. From the twisted team of Bryan Johnson and Walter Flanagan, who let Karney loose on an unsuspecting public.

 

Dark Matter

Title: Dark Matter

Genre: Sci-Fi

Story: Joseph Mallozzi, Paul Mulie

Art: Garry Brown

Publisher: Dark Horse Comics

Year: 2012

Issues: 01-04 of 04

Rate: 81/100

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PROMO: A derelict ship floats in space, its troubled crew awakened from stasis with no memories of who they are or how they got on board. Their search for answers triggers the vessel's deadly security system: a relentless android bent on their destruction. Facing threats at every turn, they have to work together to survive a voyage charged with vengeance, redemption, betrayals, and hidden secrets best left unknown.

Science-fiction veterans Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie, best known for their work on television's Stargate franchise and the new Transporter: The Series, create a new and exciting universe!

* By Stargate series writers Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie!

* Classic science fiction for fans of Aliens, Stargate, and 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Dust Wars

Title: Dust Wars

Genre: Military Sci/Fi/Alternative History

Story: Paolo Parente, Christopher Mink Morrison

Art: Davide Fabbri

Publisher: Image Comics

Year: 2010

Issues: 01-03 of 03

Rate: 65/100

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PROMO: Twistory Studios is proud to present the entire five issue collection of both sold out mini-series DUST & DUST WARS based on PAOLO PARENTE's DUST universe of miniature games, toys and models. Be sure to pick up the action packed adventure Joe's US Special Forces Ranger Team #1 and their fearless efforts along side Koshka's Russian Special Forces team to foil Sigrid's ongoing Axis plots to build the ultimate Walking Robot Army to destroy the world. Included with collection for the first time is a bonus pin up girl gallery of all Paolo's DUST DAMES as well as many pages of new War Machine designs, soldiers, models, toys & historical art from the DUST universe. Get it while it lasts! Fight Strong! This title collects DUST #1-2 AND DUST WARS #1-3

Y: The Last Man

Title: Y - The Last Man

Genre: Sci-Fi/Post-Apocalyptic/Adventure

Story: Brian K. Vaughan

Art: Pai Guerra

Publisher: Vertigo

Year: 2002-20008

Issues: 01-20 of 60

Rate: 90/100

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PROMO: "Funny and scary…an utterly believable critique of society. A+"—THE WASHINGTON POST"The best graphic novel I've ever read."—STEPHEN KING"This year's best movie is a comic book."—ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO"A seriously funny, nuanced fable...Grade A."—ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLYY: THE LAST MAN, winner of three Eisner Awards and one of the most critically acclaimed, best-selling comic books series of the last decade, is that rare example of a page-turner that is at once humorous, socially relevant and endlessly surprising. Written by Brian K. Vaughan (Lost, PRIDE OF BAGHDAD, EX MACHINA) and with art by Pia Guerra, this is the saga of Yorick Brown—the only human survivor of a planet-wide plague that instantly kills every mammal possessing a Y chromosome. Accompanied by a mysterious government agent, a brilliant young geneticist and his pet monkey, Ampersand, Yorick travels the world in search of his lost love and the answer to why he's the last man on earth.

Luna Park

Title: Luna Park

Genre: Drama/Horror/Fantasy

Story: Kevin Baker

Art: Danijel Zezelj

Publisher: Vertigo

Year: 2009

Pages: 160

Rate: 87/100

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PROMO: "The most satisfying story I've read — in any medium — in years. Perhaps the greatest work of one of America's greatest writers." — Darin Strauss (Chang and Eng)"Frightening, beautiful and compelling to the very last panel." — Denise Mina (HELLBLAZER, Slip of the Knife)New York Times bestselling author Kevin Baker (Dreamland) writes his first original graphic novel, with internationally acclaimed artist Danijel Zezelj. Alik Strelnikov lives in the shadow of Coney Island, a world of silenced rides and rusting amusement parks that mock his dreams of becoming a hero. Ten years ago, he traded a brutal existence in the Russian army for the promise of America only to become an enforcer in the Brooklyn mob. Now, he chases his ghosts with all he has left: booze, heroin and his lover, Marina, part-time prostitute and full-time fortune teller. The only way the two of them can escape their miserable fates hinges on a desperate plan that will put them between warring mobs and span a century, from contemporary Coney Island to the Russia of the Second Chechen War to spellbinding 1910s New York. Mixing historical novel, immigrant fiction and crime thriller, LUNA PARK marks Kevin Baker's return to Coney Island, the setting of his critically beloved Dreamland and features breathtaking art by Danijel Zezelj (LOVELESS) with to-die-for colors by Dave Stewart (DC: THE NEW FRONTIER).