Jen's Pick of the Month

Dark Entries HC

Occult detective John Constantine has seen his share of strange things in his career, but nothing could prepare him for the horrors of...reality television. "Haunted Mansion" is currently the hottest show on tv, but when the macabre house actually starts attacking the contestants, Constantine is hired to be the ultimate mole. Locked inside with a cast of wannabe-celebrities, his every move being monitored by a deadly figure from his past, Constantine must figure out who (or what) is pulling the strings before he gets cancelled-permanently.

DARK ENTRIES is a classic locked-room mystery starring HELLBLAZER's John Constantine from Ian Rankin, the #1 international best-selling crime writer best known for his "Inspector Rebus" novels. Rankin has won numerous awards, including the Edgar Award in 2004 and is joined in this graphic novel by Italian artist Werther Dell'Edera, the illustrator of a number of American comics - mostly notably Vertigo's LOVELESS.

This book is probably my favorite John Constantine story. Ian Rankin does a great job writing a creative story that still has the classic Hellblazer elements to it.

Stang's Pick of the Month

SUPERMARKET TP
In the future world of Supermarket, it's the literal truth. Legitimate and black-market economies rule the City, overseen by the vying factions of the Yakuza and Porno Swede crime families. Convenience store clerkette and 16-year-old suburban wise-ass Pella Suzuki suddenly finds herself in the middle of it all, heir to an empire she couldn't possibly inherit, but hitmen on both sides aren't taking any chances.
Wood creates a world in the not too distant future in order for his Romeo and Juliet tale to unfold. The story is rife with violence, guns, swords and the occasional car chase. The real gem of this book though, is the art. Kristian Donaldson has some great line art but the color palette in this book is amazing. This is a perfect popcorn flick in digest form. Take it with you if you ever choose to venture out into the sun.

Comics and Movies, Movies and Comics

So many movies are coming out based on comics and comics being published based on the movies. We'll be talking off and on about how our two favorite mediums keep intersecting. What better way to prepare yourself for the movies you'll be seeing by grabbing some great comics to read. First off one of my favorites from my youth:

The A-Team
Let’s hope this movie is a classic throwback to the action films of yore and by yore I mean the 80’s. To get you in the mood the director, Joe Carnahan, has co-written a mini-series to reacquaint ourselves with Hannibal Smith, B.A. Baracus, H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock and Templeton "Faceman" Peck.  Along with the mini series, Chuck Dixon is writing some compelling one-shots for each character. These one-shots show us just how rough and tumble these guys are as they make their way through the Iraq War. So get ready for some over the top action.

Picks of the Week

Blackest Night #8

The extra-sized conclusion to the most talked-about event in comics is here, and the results will change the course of the DC Universe for years to come. Earth has become the final battleground for life versus death, but how will our heroes fight back against the darkness of sentient space itself? And what does the future hold for Green Lantern, The Flash and the rest of the world's greatest heroes and villains? Find out here as the stage is set for the next epic era of DC Comics!

This is it.  The war of light comes to a mind shattering conclusion.  Who will die? Who will be resurrected?  This is a must read for any fan of the DCU. 

X-Men 2nd Coming: Chapter 1

MANY WILL BE WOUNDED. SEVERAL WILL DIE. The climax of four years of X-Men stories is the X-Event of 2010! What started in HOUSE OF M with the Decimation of mutantkind and erupted with the first new mutant birth in MESSIAH COMPLEX finishes here. In the epic crossover SECOND COMING, Cyclops' faith pays off when Cable returns to the present with Hope, the girl he believes to be the mutant messiah. But will she be the savior or destroyer of mutantkind? We may never know, as she is the target of an initiative for mutant eradication unlike anything they X-Men have ever experienced. Many will be wounded. Several will die. Is Hope worth it? 

 The new status quo of the X-Universe starts here.  It's always darkest before the dawn and the only thing that Scott Summers has to hold onto is hope.  We'll see if his faith is rewarded.  Some great action and Finch's art gives this story a cinematic feel.

RASL #7

A landmark issue where shocking truths are revealed! The amazing powers unlocked by the secret journals of Nikola Tesla lead to a bitter fight between RASL and his partners. Too late, RASL realizes how closely tied truth and danger are!

This is book is a must read.  One of the best sci fi books being made today.  Smith is a great storyteller and the world of RASL just sucks you in. 

If you are not the A-TEAM, you are THE LOSERS