Comic Quickies

Bulletproof Coffin #5: The first thing I noticed about this issue was the extra heft to it when I picked it up...extra pages! I was hoping the extra thickness was due to a pop-out section or something equally sweet, but the extra pages were a preview of writer David Hine's earlier work, Strange Embrace. So, really it was pretty much the usual stuff from Bulletproof Coffin. By "usual" I mean, weird and wild stuff on each and every page.

Over the course of the five issues in this six issue series, there has been lots to love. Shaky Kane's art is always a visual pleasure, and the story itself is quite awesome. I think my favorite touch is the comic-within-a-comic that occurs in each issue, and how they tie into the overall plot of the series. Great stuff. I've been waiting for the Red Wraith comic, and I finally got it. I can't wait to see how this one finishes up.



Kill Shakespeare #6: This sixth issue wraps up the first of two story arcs for this twelve issue series. In high school, I always secretly liked it when it came time for us to read a Shakespearean play. I loved the characters. Now along comes a comic that takes a bunch of the Bard's most famous and lesser known characters, pulls them out of their given narratives and plops them down in a fantasy world where Shakespeare himself is an elusive, all powerful wizard.

The first three issues or so were quite good, pitting Hamlet as the central character, exiled from his homeland, wrecked at sea, only to wash ashore on the lands controlled by Richard III. He soon undertook a quest to kill the mysterious wizard, but in the process things become jumbled as he meets folks like Falstaff, Juliet, and Othello, who operate a rebellion against Richard III. However, I the plot has slowed down a bit, over the last couple of issues, and I'm hoping this one gets back on track soon.



Strange Tales II 2 of 3: Yet another awesome, and hilarious Strange Tales cover! More great Marvel stuff by indie creators here. There's some great gems in this issue. My favorite was Love and the Space Phantom by Jamie Hernandez, which follows the Space Phantom as he tries to crash a sexy marvel-babes beach party.

There is also a great X-Men story by Jeffrey Brown, a great stressed out Spidey tale by Farel Dalrymple, and capping off the issue, Crisis in the Lair of MODOK by Jon Vermilyea...you can't really go wrong with any story starring a Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing.



Sweet Tooth #15: Last but not least comes one of my most favorite ongoing comics. It is amazing to me how Lemire manages to keep building and building the tension issue after issue. I think the pacing might drive some people crazy, but I love it. little, yet very important things happen every issue, and those little things add up to make this one extremely compelling story.

After reading this issue, its pretty plain to see that Singh, the Doctor who has been experimenting on the Hybrids has a pretty large role to play in the overall plot of the story. It looks like he'll be trying to figure out just what the hell Gus' "Dad" was up to by reading his journals. Meanwhile, Jeppard seems poised to wage war on the Militia.