"Imagine a real world with mutations all around us, these people would be the new minority group. They would have all the crappy jobs -- the kind of stuff we "normal" people wouldn’t want to do. So these people would be the plumbers, the doormen, taxi drivers... you get the idea. So where can a monster go and get a little respect?

The movies.

Heck, monsters have been working in the movies for decades. But now the monsters aren't made, they are regular folks. They just have an affliction -- something that makes them look a little different from you and me. And that’s our story. These guys want their piece of the pie. They're moving on up, but not up to a deluxe apartment in the sky. They want to head out West, to the land of make believe... Hollywood California."

- artist Tone Rodriguez on Urban Monsters #1 (of 3) from Image Comics

Other comics to eyeball this week

Annja Creed jumps the mediums with Barbara Kesel and Renae De Liz to find trouble around a dig on Samuel Clemens in Rogue Angel: Teller of Tall Tales. Dig for it in the "R" titles of the far wall when you walk in the shop.

Got Bone? Jeff Smith returns to creating wholly in his own juice squirts with RASL. Dimension hopping art thief made of one half zen, one half user and abuser of the seedy sports in life. Look for this in black and white in the "R" titles of the far wall also.

Warren Ellis, Mike Wolfer and Raulo Caceres bring back the "Strange Kiss" world in Gravel. William Gravel gets messy in the magic part of his world and piles up the shell casings like spent waffle from the iron, dripping with syrup and looking to wrap those arteries up well and good. Shoot a look for this one in the "G" spot of the far wall.

Chad Lambert, Chad Hardin and Jake Bilbao squeeze between the cheeks of the two games (both being "groundbreaking" that there's nothing left to stand on but sand) of the franchise to slot in BloodRayne: Prime Cuts. Cup a "B" section of the comics wall.

Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips are back with more Criminal in Criminal 2. Thicker with more stuff to read and peel your lime-ridden eyeballs over. Second chance in hell they call it. And the title of it too. Yes, this line is largely redundant. In the "C" section of the Marvel comics side.

Didn't like the do of the second Terminator sequel? Then rejoice with apprehension as the familiar name of the director takes to comics in Jonathan Mostow's The Megas. Apparently, it's not the one about the cartoon. Who knows what the solicit is talking about. Right near the horror statues and busts cabinet with the rest of the Virgin Comics, you'll spot this.

When you see Mark Millar and a title with unrecognisable characters, you know it's part of his Millarworld project. Kick-Ass is no different. John Romita Jr on with the board on this and the cover of the first issue looks like a bloody punch indeed. Gloves not so bad for getting blood off the hands then. Find this one in the Marvel section with the "K."


 

Suck the air out of a Coke bottle and leave it hanging on your face. Watch as the skin renders a red mark when you pull it away. Kind of get the same kind of feeling when you sleep on a coin for a bit. Wouldn't try it with a gun though. That's just a little too much like Russian Roulette.

This summer, the world goes black as Warren Ellis unveils his all-new super-powered heroes and villains epic that promises to be the biggest event of 2007! With art by the genius Juan Jose Ryp, no fan of The Authority or Wanted will want to miss this bleeding-edge eight issue masterpiece.

When the political situation in the USA becomes more than Horus can stand, he moves to take matters into his own hands. But since not all his other team-mates aren’t so eager to throw the world into chaos, an epic conflict starts to form. And no one will be safe as the bodies start to fall.

Black Summer #1 from Avatar Press

Keith Giffen and Timothy Green III throw down with Annihilation: Conquest - Starlord and Rocket Racoon is playing in the mix.

Warren Ellis and Ivan Rodriguez meet up with Doktor Sleepless for a spell with the mad scientist. Times they are not quite achanging. Ask yourself why.

Two sides to fight and with mink and Paolo Parente at the brink, it's nothing but Dust at the end. Sci-fi and history in the wars to world the weary. Plus zombies!

Christopher E. Long and Ryan Winn scout out those in the witness protection program all over history in Hiding In Time. Contracts are out and it's time to go through the streams looking for those who turn states evidence and take them out. Of time and of existence. Three times the charm.

David Tischman and Steve Conley go for a joyride in the Starship Enterprise for Star Trek: Year Four. Boldly going where the original series didn't quite make it in its original airing.

Marshmallows wrapped in cheese slices with dipping sauce of boysenberry jam. Tastes good and that's just food of a run amok combination. Top Cow/Marvel Unholy Union by Ron Marz and Michael Broussard slams all sorts of creatures from both universes into a mayhem that is like the Monster Mash where everybody is wearing a piece of food from their face on the one plate.

Stark is still missing and Christos Gage and Butch Guice run the ground along World War Hulk in Iron Man #20 looking for the man in the iron boxers.

Hardcover of the week

Grab a hold of Immortal Iron Fist Volume 1: The Last Iron Fist Story Premiere in the hardcover format from Matt Fraction, Ed Brubaker, David Aja and Travel Foreman and chi that block out into smithereens. Say it again, "smithereens"! Now that's a great word.

 

Graffiti artists don't seem to gear up like they should any more. Bright fluoros vests and bells around their necks with socks that pull up all the way to their knees. That might be another form of expression. Of course, showing the world bad handwriting, calling it tagging and labeling it an artistic form of expression makes all those signed documents a series of collectible sets then, right?

Someone is gift-wrapping super-villains for the police. Someone is defacing Superhuman Registration posters. Someone is raising eyebrows all around town -- from City Hall to Tony Stark's war chamber. And the only clue to their identity? Two spray-painted letters: N.W.

Who are these mysterious young upstarts that have dared to fight the powers-that-be? And what do they want from a de-powered mutant named Sofia?

Are the New Warriors truly back from the dead? Or has something new risen from the ashes of Stamford?

New Warriors #1

Warren Ellis and Juan Jose Ryp trip it up with Black Summer #0. Starts of low and a quick with a lead as things go hitting the fan with super heroes and villains and it turns out standing in the cold night air forever leaves the fingers paralysed.

Ron Marz and Adriana Melo take one shot in Witchblade/Punisher. Justice beckons with many calls, and the legend, the myth of the Punisher seems questionable to a woman who walks about in a living bikini armour. Watch for The Punisher at the end of Spider-Man 2 as Mary Jane is running through the park. Pause a split second.

Transformers: Movie Prequel from Kris Oprisko and Alex Milne runs at a shot with the four doors on the car and who really counts the boot as a legitimate door anyway?

Zeb Wells and Carmine Di Giandomenico jump back into the ring for the old man of the red blind man in Daredevil: Battlin' Jack Murdock. Just where and why did DD's father get his name? Not from a baby book for newly made parents perhaps.

Quarter decks on the landing and there's one more back story as Rick Rememder, Tony Moore and Andre Parks visit Fear Agent: The Last Goodbye. One who knows shows the others, and kicks it like a licking brick.

 

They make sunglasses to keep out the harsh rays of the sun from burning the eyes with the UV. They don't necessarily make them for keeping out fingers that want to poke like the Three Stooges have taught some of the kids.

Planet Earth. Inhabited by six billion people. People leading ordinary lives, coping with everyday struggles. But on a night like any other, the Earth is rocked by the most startling celestial event ever witnessed by the human race. The White Event.

And from its wake, a handful of humans emerge as something more.

Acclaimed writer Warren Ellis (NEXTWAVE) and superstar artist Salvador Larroca (X-MEN) bring you this new universe -
a universe witnessing superhuman power for the first time.

newuniversal #1 from Marvel Comics

Six years on the burner and Kaare Andrews comes swinging in with the first of four of Spider-Man: Reign. 35 years on, and what might happen to Spidey?

Mike Carey and Brandon Peterson join forces with Ultimate Vision to take down... a mad and crazy scientist hell bent on taking a piece of the world for himself. A plan to foil and dismember in five parts. Much like the main chunks of a body.

Andy Diggle and Whilce Portacio go on ahuntin' and ascoutin' to see just where the Dark Knight got his goodies and bag of tricks in a six issue Batman Confidential. One mention of shark repellant and it's back to licking sweaty thongs.

It ain't a Marvel handbook, it's one from Image and with that, The Official Handbook Of The Invincible Universe rips yarns and bios on the good and bad people that Mark Grayson, aka Invincible, has to live with in his universe.

Rehash of the horror slash continues apace and this time it's Jaso Vorhees with Friday The 13th. Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray and Adam Archer are the tour guides in this visit to Crystal Lake. Amazingly enough, the tourists aren't too bothered by its history of bloodening.

Queensland/Adelaide for superheroes, that's what Tranquility is. A place where the old crime fighters take afternoon naps between snacks on jelly and soft bread. Gail Simone and Neil Googe booking the long ride into the peace and quiet that turns out not to be entirely that.

One team to inspire them all, Justice Society of America. Geoff Johns, Dale Eaglesham and Art Thibert watch on with the recruitment program that kicks off the series. As all series kickers are looking to do when a team's involved by nominations and elections.

Fire, flames and a whole lot of flickering ember in Meltdown by David B. Schwartz and Sean Wang. Prestige in two from Image Comics, a tale of a super hero whose very own powers are killing him. With only a week before the end, he needs to tidy up his affairs.

 

Drugs and drug-related news sticks better to the wall than ready-to-eat pasta. Michelle Leslie, a pseudo-quasi Muslim convicted by Indonesian courts of being an ecstasy addict in possession and released on the weekend, is expected to sell her story to whoever bites first and hardest of the tabloids.

Drugs, deals, dilemmas...

Five years ago, a narcotics cop was sent undercover, down into the criminal substructure of the city. He never came back. He went native. Five years later, he's running the city's prime drug gang.

Today, a second cop, Detective Deena Ransome, in the midst of career flameout, is sent undercover with orders to pull the first one out -- in a body bag if necessary. But when she finally reaches down far enough to confront her target, does she kill him where he stands?

Or does she take his place?

Fast-paced action and thrilling crime noir is brought to you from the award-winning Warren Ellis in this landmark limited series!

Then there's Van Nguyen. Caught three years ago by the Singaporean officials of smuggling drugs. Poster boy for his twin brother and vehement petitions citing the International Court of Justice, he's headed for the gallows to swing a jitter on December 2.

Unlike Leslie, Nguyen's not going to chance a bidding war for his story. Unless his twin, Khoa, manages to pull of a Parent Trap kind of coup on the Australian media.

Other debut issues expected for the shelves this week include: Perhapanauts from Dark Horse, Seven Soldiers: Frankenstein from DG and Punisher Vs. Bullseye from Marvel Comics.

 

 

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