MARVEL ZOMBIES #2

Lovingly crafted by “Walking Dead” creator Robert Kirkman and “Sleeper” artist Sean Phillips, Marvel Zombies easily stands as the most disturbingly funny concept Marvel has ever unleashed on the public. At turns both masterfully clever and downright repellent, the creative team takes great care in delivering a story that finds balance between the two. When a zombie plague infects the super-powered population of a very different Marvel Earth, they waste no time devouring the rest of the population. Now they find themselves very low on food and unsure what to do next, but a visitor from the stars may well be the first step to a solution. Plus, curiosity leads one of the zombies to turn traitor on his own kind in a quest for answers, and when he is discovered things take a disgusting but all-too familiar turn. Discuss

BATMAN & THE MONSTER MEN #3

After a brutal mob-involved massacre, Batman closes in on the mastermind behind the recent murders. All clues start to point to the mysterious Hugo Strange, but Batman soon finds himself in over his head when he finally comes face-to-face with the Monster Men. Matt Wagner’s vision of Batman is both menacing and heroic, and he does well to balance the different aspects of the character---playboy, hero, detective. All said, this continues to be one of the better out-of-continuity Bat-books published in recent years. Discuss

THE EXTERMINATORS #1

A disgusting yet wickedly entertaining look into a world of bug-killers and the pests they hunt finds creators Simon Oliver and Tony Moore hitting the nail on the head with this first issue. Both graphically captivating and repulsive at once, Moore’s detailed art gives readers an almost too-close look at the vermin lurking behind every wall and crawlspace. Gory depictions are all good and well, but it is newcomer Oliver that really makes this piece worth reading. His characters are many and flawed if not downright disturbed, from an ex-con trying to make a new life to an exterminator with a very interesting and entirely unsanitary habit. Definitely yet another Vertigo title you won’t want to miss! Discuss

NEW EXCALIBUR #3

What is it about this book that makes Claremont’s Uncanny X-Men simply pale in comparison? While that book’s storylines feel stale and uninspired, this book looks to be one of the stars of the post-House of M Marvel Universe. With fast-paced storytelling and a host of characters both old and new, this third iteration of Excalibur feels as fresh as the first did some 15-odd years ago. Throw into the mix Michael Ryan’s gorgeously rendered pencils, and you have a new mutant hit in the making. In this issue, the assembled heroes face off against a twisted version of their beloved Professor Xavier and his X-Men, with the lives of several loved ones at stake. All that, plus a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo by some very not-Marvel characters! Discuss

X-MEN: COLOSSUS-BLOODLINE #5

Colossus has a very dire choice to make, but does he have it in his blood to send his brother Mikhail to the other side? The grand finale reveals more secrets and mysteries from Peter Rasputin’s family tree, with Mr. Sinister pulling strings and playing games with people’s lives. There’s no way Peter is walking away from this one unscathed, but what price must he pay to survive? Discuss

HARD TIME SEASON TWO #2

Writer Steve Gerber has created one of the most original concepts seen in mainstream comics in some time, in this story that is so much more than the average HBO prison drama. Aided and abetted by co-writer Mary Skrenes and artists Brian Hurtt and Steve Bird, Hard Time tells the story of 15 year-old Ethan Harrow, sentenced to prison for a crime he didn’t actually commit, and the strange goings-on around him. Issue two of the second "season" finds Ethan crossing the wrong inmate and marked for death. His supernatural protector might not even be able to save him now, and Ethan must finally learn the rules of barter in the corrupt prison system. Even then, all bets are off as to how long he can survive, especially when the infamous murderer known simply as "Cutter" arrives at State Penitentiary. Discuss