Ash and the Army of Darkness (#2)

Well, let the heads fly as we are here for round two of the new series and we find out why the beard guy wants Ash alive...HE LOST THE BOOK! LOL HOW? Who knows and who cares! The end has Ash in all his groovy goodness ready to kick some deadabite ass as an old flame returns to help free him and....well, kick some deadabite ass of course! There is a little more of the sarcasm as the Ash we all know and love starts pushing forward in his ever lasting battle against the Army of Darkness and that damn evil book. The book is really picking up and we'll see where it goes....or how Ash can screw this up....he will somehow, we all know this and are expecting it to happen.

Ash and the Army of Darkness (#1)

My copy was delayed to the point where number 2 arrived before number 1 but, I will say, it was worth the wait. This story does not follow the other comics has before or the current crossover happening at the moment. In fact, it begins right after the events of the movie....all because Ash didn't say the words exactly right....you need to say every single little syllable! So, the Army of Darkness has found a way to drag him back to the past where the beard man has gone nuts and need him alive but....why? Something is rotten in the past. Lets see where all this leads as Niles' writing is impressive and Calero's art looks great...all that's missing is Ash's sarcasm which, has been left out for some odd reason....hmmmm. Lets see where this will take Ash next!

Twilight Zone (#1)

Is there any other show that holds as a special place in the heart of horror fiends then that land off in the fifth dimension? Well, Dynamite has decided to revive the classic show with new stories and great art. The story itself, is a good story that has that feel so far but, I can only comment on how it fairs in comparison to the classic show after the conclusion of the storyline. I mean, the art looks great and the build up towards the consequence where the guy must pay for his actions of his Wall Street scandal plays out like a familiar story. He thinks he has found a way out by changing his whole identity but, on top of the millions he has already forked over, what other price did he have to pay? I guess we'll find out! Updating this classic show with a new comic book will introduce them to a new generation while keeping old fans smiling for the moment....we'll be able to tell for sure in issue number two if Straczynski's art and story can keep up the momentum.

Baltimore: Chapel of Bones (#1 of 2)

On top of Hellboy and B.P.R.D., Baltimore is Mike's other creation. Along with Christopher Golden, they have created an awesome vampire hunter that's rivaled only by, maybe, Blade. In this issue, Lord Baltimore comes face to face with an old nemesis for what appears to be one more battle. Although he is absent from the comic for most of it, it is an enjoyable story that will have you smiling, waiting for the second issue to drop. This book is a good place to start if you haven't read the novel or Plague of Ships as it gives you enough back story to catch you up while not dominating a good chunk of the book. The writing is great as you expect from Golden and Mignola while Stenbeck and Stewart's art nicely complement the words. Will this be the final battle between Baltimore and the vampire that is the cause of all his grief? We'll see!

Hellboy In Hell (#5 of 5)

Thus, this is the conclusion to Mike Mignola's return to drawing his crowning achievement Hellboy. The art and the story are great! They leave enough on the bone to continue to draw the story out where it needs to go or wants to go in the future. Hellboy may be dead from our world but now he returns to Hell where he walks free (for the moment) still denying to follow his fate or destiny in true Hellboy fashion. For any fan, there is much to love here! It makes you even wonder if you want him to be resurrected and brought back to our world as this is Mike in his element...demons, monsters and decaying buildings all around....how can you not love it?

Ghost (#1)

Well, well, well, well, well, look who's back! That's right folks! She's popped back into our lives as Ghost is ripping demons out of people who have become hosts put there by the Devil/Mayor and Dr. October. More questions are raised as someone who knew her as she battles to figure out just who she was before she became the Ghost. Throw in a deal made with one of these demons and we have the beginning of a new and twisted story arc that is a direct continuation of the previous 4 issue mini series issued by Dark Horse not long ago. Kelly Sue DeConnick, Christopher Sebela and Ryan Sook bring Ghost to live with stunning art and a great writing that gives some away while still holding their cards close to their chest of where this story is heading. Better find some jade so you don't slip through because only those three know where this is going and I'm excited to find out!

The Lords of Salem by Rob Zombie with B.K. Evenson

Well, this is the book adaptation of the new Rob Zombie movie and wow! There's so much going on that only a book can do! The movie was awesome! His best yet but, a book allows you to enter the minds more so of the characters as you can read their thoughts, ideas or see through their eyes what is happening as opposed to what we see on screen. Both Zombie and Evenson do a great job in taking the world that was created in the movie and expanding upon it. For anyone who had trouble understanding the movie or seemed lost and confused, this will clear everything up. For those of you who loved the movie and weren't confused, this will give you more incite of what is happening or an extra viewpoint as you hear the character's thoughts on something or their reaction. Overall this book, like the movie, is a slow burner that has so much going between Monday and Saturday when the Lords come out and play...and oh! Do they ever play! Blood and more flow in this novel that will please any Zombie fan! I swear, he has a been a busy man this year but, his fans are reaping the benefits and for this I for one and thankful.

Hellboy: The Midnight Circus

Well, there's a reason this debuted on the New York Bestseller's List. Mike and Duncan take a tale of a child Hellboy who runs away to smoke a cigarette and instead finds himself at a circus. Here, he sees souls come alive, is being drawn into his "fate" by the ringleader while his niece wants Hellboy dead before he can bring about the destruction that his expected of him. If you know Hellboy you know this is a story that has been told before when someone tries to throw his "fate" in his face and he finds a way to escape it and just be who he wants to be. Throw in some ghosts of child murderous hobos looking to hang Hellboy and you begin to wonder what this story doesn't have. It's a quick read full of great art and a story that will make you feel good inside. This is a welcome edition to the Hellboy cannon, although it may not fill in the gaps, it's a glimpse into the Hellboy we all know and love for almost 20 years now.

Army of Darkness Vs. Hack/Slash (#4 of 6)

On the awesomeness rolls! In this issue you find Ash and Cassie in hell...ummmm, I mean Connecticut trying to track down the missing pages of that damn evil book. Here Ash meets Pooch (who shouldn't be alive...in his words!) and Cat who informs them of kidnappings tied to a family's bloodlines. Throw in a metal singer from a band who has a thing for someone convicted of witchcraft during the witch trials, deadabites and an ending that MAY shock and you have an issue that is full of laughs written by Seeley and drawn by Daniel Leister as this mini series team up continues to roll on by slicing heads, blasting holes in demons and getting your laughs along the way. This is the team up horror fans wanted in comics and this is what we got...a whole lot of what we expected and more! Start on this series if you haven't already....there's only two issues left with a promise that they'll be taking a trip to the past in the next one....will that damn book ever stop?

Ghost - If You Have Ghost

If any metal band has captured the hearts of metal heads recently, it has to be Ghost! Mysterious in how they act like the original incarnation of KISS in keeping their identities a secret, great musicianship and awesome songs, what is not to love? This release is a covers e.p. featuring the talents of Dave Grohl on drums and guitar for 3 of the 5 tracks (I also failed to mention that he produced it!...what can't he do?) as well as a live version of "Secular Haze". The live song gives you a glimpse of what this band can do and why they've caught on as fast as they have. The cover and back are an obvious shout out to the classic Nosferatu from the 1920s in how Papa Emeritus II is depicted. Standouts include the above mentioned live track, "I'm a Marionette" (also found on their last album as a hidden track with Grohl on drums), "If you have Ghosts" and "Waiting for the Night" (both featuring Grohl on guitar). In the end, if you're already a fan, you'll find plenty to enjoy in this release. If you're not and you're looking for a "safe" release by the band to check out, this is a pretty good glimpse of a band on their way to greatness.