SPOTLIGHT ON: Avengers Children's Crusade

The Avengers Children's Crusade is a book I checked out knowing absolutely nothing about the Young Avengers, but after one issue, I was hooked. Now that I've gone back and read The Young Avengers Vol. 1: Sidekicks and Vol.2: Family Matters, I'm even more stoked for the next installment. This a great story with a group of dynamic characters who are just as interesting when fighting crime as they are in dealing with more personal issues. My favorites are Hawkeye, a cool chick who kicks butt without having superpowers, and Wiccan and Hulking, who's super cute romantic subplot is a huge draw for me. The amazing art and character designs cement this as a must read for me. I love this series because of the depth put into both the characters and the plotlines, and I can't wait for more.

Check Out AVENGERS: CHILDREN'S CRUSADE #2, Out on Wednesday 9/1/2010

Jen's pick

                                            

Johnny the Homicidal Maniac Director’s Cut TP

Dark and disturbingly funny, JTHM follows the adventures of Johnny (you can call him Nny), who lives with a pair of styrofoam doughboys that encourage his madness, a wall that constantly needs a fresh coat of blood, and his victims in various states of torture! Collecting issues #1-7 of Johnny the Homicidal Maniac, as well as material seen before only in Carpe Noctem Magazine.

JTHM is officially the first comic book I ever read. It is incredibly random and funny in a twisted way. Be sure to read the Noodle Boy pages, because they’re my favorites.

Angela's Pick of the Month

BRODYS GHOST BOOK 01

 
DARK HORSE COMICS
By Mark Crilley 

Brody hoped it was just a hallucination. But no, the teenaged ghostly girl who'd come face to face with him in the middle of a busy city street was all too real. And now she was back, telling him she needed his help in hunting down a dangerous killer, and that he must undergo training from the spirit of a centuries-old samurai to unlock his hidden supernatural powers. Thirteen-time Eisner nominee Mark Crilley joins Dark Horse to launch his most original and action-packed saga to date in Brody's Ghost, the first in a six-volume limited series.

This book grabs you from the first page and doesn't let go. It's creepy, suspenseful, but most importantly really fun. Brody is a loveable loser mourning his latest breakup when he finds himself in an extraordinary situation. All of a sudden, he is talking to ghosts and preparing to willingly find a psychopath and bring him to justice. Once you read this volume, you'll be eagerly awaiting the next installments.

Picks of the Week

SUPERMAN BATMAN #75

You're invited to a spectacular anniversary celebration as Paul Levitz unites the World's Finest with the super-team he's best known for - the Legion of Super-Heroes! Lex Luthor has finally unleashed a threat powerful enough to gain the Legion's attention in the far future, but to take Luthor down, they'll have to journey into the past and ask for help from both Batman and Superboy!

Plus, Joe Kelly and various writers and artists chronicle the history of The Man of Steel and The Dark Knight in adventures that span from yesterday into the far beyond! Adam Hughes writes and draws a tale starring Supergirl and Batgirl, J.T. Krul and Francis Manipul deliver a tale of Superboy and Red Robin seeking advice from their mentors, Ace and Krypto get leashed by Duncan Rouleau, David Finch writes and illustrates a story for the first time, and Joe Kelly, Steven T. Seagle, Billy Tucci and many more surprises help commemorate this anniversary extravaganza!

NAMOR FIRST MUTANT #1

Spinning out of the pages of X-MEN #1, comes an all-new series starring the world's first mutant, NAMOR THE SUB-MARINER. When the X-Men are confronted with a deadly vampire threat, Namor takes matters into his own hands on a mission that might bring down the entire might of the vampires on their heads...and in the process, destroy Atlantis! What lurks down below the ocean where the sun can't reach? What he thought was a fable to scare the children of Atlantis comes to terrifying life in the form of a newly-discovered race of Atlantean Vampires. Namor's choice, to stand with Atlantis or the X-Men, will define a new chapter in his life...or death.

GUARDING THE GLOBE #1 (OF 6)

As the VILTRUMITE WAR rages on within the pages of INVINCIBLE, the ranks of the Guardians of the Globe are suddenly depleted. The world is in danger, and the team is in search of new blood. It's the biggest recruitment drive since Omni-Man slaughtered the original members. But will the new Guardians of the Globe be ready in time to stop The Order? This series is a can't-miss action extravaganza!

Double Whammy

Lovers of adult alternative series will have two good reasons to feel a little bereaved this week- critically acclaimed titles Air and Ex Machina both released their final issues.

Released by Vertigo and capping off at 24 issues, Air is the mind-bending tale of a flight attendant named Blythe, who is sucked into a worl of mystery and intrigue when she joins the Etesian Front, a supposed anti-terror organization.  Mysterious unmapped countries, Aztec gods, and Amelia Earheart all come into play as the friendly skies get weirder and wilder.  Air counts such comics heavyweights as Neil Gaiman and Brian Azzarello among its biggest fans- see what all the fuss is about before every last issue disappears into thin... well, you know.

And concluding on the nice round number of 50 issues, Wildstorm's Ex Machina is an engaging mishmash of politics and superheroics from fan favorite Brian K. Vaughan (Runaways, Y: the Last Man).  As we follow the rise and fall of Mitchell Hundred, mayor of New York City and the world's only superhero, shifting loyalties and tricky moral quandaries arise, and it's been darkly hinted that the series won't be ending with any easy answers.  There's never been a better time to check out this Eisner-winning title !

Romance and Comedy

Looking for a story that will warm your heart and make you laugh?

Fruits Basket - 
Tohru Honda was an orphan, living with her grandfather, when one day fate kicked her out of the house and she was forced to take up residence in a tent in the forest. Little did she know that the land she was staying on belonged to the Sohma family, a clan of beautiful and mysterious people. After stumbling upon the teenage squatter, the Sohmas invite Tohru to stay in their house in exchange for cooking and cleaning. Everything's going well until she discovers the Sohma family's greatest secret: when hugged by members of the opposite sex, they each turn into their Chinese Zodiac animal!

Merupuri -
All high school freshman Airi Hoshina ever wanted was to someday live in a cozy home with a loving husband, and find joy in the little things in life.  As a result, she makes it her daily mission to get to school on time because school legend has it that the longer one's non-tardy streak is, the better boyfriend one will find.  But just when her daily routine is working like clockwork, an occurrence of fairytale proportions threatens to disrupt her grand plan.

On the way to school one morning, Airi loses her mirror - one that had been passed down to her through generations - and suddenly finds herself in a bizarre situation.  Never in her wildest dreams did she expect Aram, a little boy from a magical kingdom, to have emerged from the mirror in the short time it took her to track it down!

Mixed Vegetables - 
Hanayu Ashitaba is the daughter of the celebrated Patisserie Ashitaba, but all she wants to do is to be a sushi chef. Hayato Hyuga is the son of the prestigious Sushi Hyuga, and all he wants to do is be a pastry chef! It's love and leftovers in the Oikawa High School Cooking Department as these star-crossed gourmands do their best to reach their cuisine dreams!

Hanayu knows that it will break her parents' hearts if she defects from the bakery to become a sushi chef.  But if she marries into a sushi family, they'll have to understand her decision.  Now she just has to get Hayato Hyuga interested in her, and what better way than wow him with her cooking skills?

The Lizard Prince - 
Canary is the princess of the kingdom of Linaria.  Her father, the king, has promised her hands in marriage to Heath, the handsome prince of the kingdom of Gazania.  Canary isn't crazy about this, because Heath has a bad reputation.  The Prince has his own reservations, and gets his brother Sienna to pose as him on their first date, convinced he'll drive her away.  But the plan backfires when chemistry ignites between the two.  The only problem is Sienna's been under a spell, which turned him into a lizard. And once he's done posing as his brother, he reverts back to that form!  Will love really conquer all in this mixed up triangle?

The Palette of 12 Secret Colors - 
On the island of Opal live the world's most colorful birds.  The birds have attracted a school for aspiring "Palettes" - wizards who have the ability to borrow color from one object and paint its qualities on to another.  Young Cello has the potential to be a great Palette, but she just can't seem to control her power.  As the end of freshman year approaches she's on the verge of failing, so she's going to need all the help her bird Yoyo can provide.





- Ryan

Twilight Interview with a True Blood Vampire Diary...

Ha ha ha!  Take that Google search!  On to business...
Need some new blood to add to your vampire collection?  Check out the following manga for some interesting twists on the genre.

Vampire Knight - 
Cross Academy is attended by two groups of students: the Day Class and the Night Class. At twilight, when the students of the Day Class return to their dorm, they cross paths with the Night Class on their way to school. Yuki Cross and Zero Kiryu are the Guardians of the school, protecting the Day Class from the Academy's dark secret: the Night Class is full of vampires!

Yuki Cross has no memory of her past prior to the moment she was saved from a vampire attack ten years ago. She was adopted by the headmaster of Cross Academy, and now works alongside Zero to guard the Academy's secret. Yuki believes that vampires and humans can coexist peacefully, but her partner has different ideas...

Black Bird - 
There is a world of myth and magic that intersects ours, and only a special few can see it. Misao Harada is one such person, and she wants nothing to do with magical realms. She just wants to have a normal high school life and maybe get a boyfriend.

All that changes one day when Misao is attacked by a demon. Her childhood friend Kyo suddenly returns to save her and tend to her cuts--with his tongue!

It turns out Misao is the bride of prophecy, whose blood gives power to the demon clan who claims her.

But most demons want to keep her power for themselves--by eating her! Now Misao is just trying to stay alive...and decide if she likes it when Kyo licks her wounds.

Chibi Vampire -
Karin is a cute little girl who also happens to be a vampire...with a twist. Once a month, she experiences intense bleeding from her nose--we're talking gushers! In other words, she's a vamp with blood to spare, so rather than stealing blood from humans she actually gives her blood to them. If done right, this can be an extremely positive experience that benefits the "victim" as much as the vampire. The problem is that Karin never seems to do things right!

Lunar Legend Tsukihime - 
After a near-death experience, second year high school student, Shiki Tohno gains an unusual ability; death perception.  No, that is not a typo.  Shiki is able to see "death lines" on everything.  If he traces these lines, he can dismember anything.  There are vampires, too.  :)

Trinity Blood - 
In a dark and distant future, Armageddon has giving rise to the fabled Second Moon--and a perpetual war between the vampires and the humans!

Esther is a nun in the city of Istavan. When she crosses paths with Abel Nightroad, a priest sent from the Vatican to combat the local order of vampires, the two form a holy alliance to battle the most evil of threats.

In this gorgeous, gothic-action series--part of the super-popular Trinity Blood franchise--the very survival of the human race is at stake!


- Ryan