Batman: The Dark Knight: Volume 1: Knight Terrors
By: David Finch
Publisher: DC Comics
ISBN: 9781401235437
Pub Date: October 9, 2012
Pages: 208
Pre-Order: Amazon.com


Batman is back in this new volume of consisting of the issues 1-9:  Knight Terrors, A Rush of Blood, Catch Me If You Can, Welcome to the Jungle, Handful of Dust, Run Rabbit Run, The Final Curtain, The Madness, and  I Can No Longer Be Broken.

A mysterious woman dressed as a white rabbit enters into the Arkham injects the inmates with a special venom. An explosion causes chaos inside Arkham. Batman rushes inside, afraid that his old enemy Two-Face has escaped, but to his surprise, Two-Face is very much alive. The venom injected into him has caused him to take on a hulk like appearance and he now refers to himself as One-Face.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Written by: Denise Mina
Illustrated by: Andrea Muttti
Publisher: Vertigo/DC Comics
ISBN: 9781401235574
Pub Date: November 13, 2012
Pages: 152
Pre-order on Amazon.com

Based upon the best-selling trilogy by the late author Stieg Larsson is the new graphic novel adaptation from DC Comics/Vertigo. Thanks to edelweiss I got a chance to see a sneak peak at issue one. The complete book will be on sale on November 13th!

The graphic novel follows the same plot from the original books and both the US and Swedish movie versions. Mikael Blomkvist, a journalist who is having major legal trouble, is asked to investigate a forty-something-year-old missing case by Mr. Vanger.

Star Trek: The Next Generation / Doctor Who: Assimilation 2 
Contributors: J. K. Woodward
Publisher: IDW Publishing
ISBN: 9781613774038
Pub Date:  October 02, 2012 
Pages: 104 

The Federation Planet Delta IV is attacked by the Borg and a new race called the Cybermen.

In the past, The Doctor, Amy and her husband Rory are in Egypt to catch an alien criminal. Then, they hop back into the TARDIS where they encounter a weird disturbance that sends them to San Francisco in the 1940s. Or are they somewhere else, like a holoprogram on the U.S.S. Enterprise.

Commander William Riker, Data, and Doctor Beverly Crusher are surprised by the Doctor and his companions’ sudden arrival, and they are even more surprised when they learn the visitors are not holograms. Commander Riker orders Worf and a security team to take them to Captain Picard.

Doctor Who Dave Gibbons Collection 
Artist: Dave Gibbons
Publisher: IDW Publishing
ISBN: 9781613773475 
Ediction: Trade Paperback
Pub Date: September 18, 2012
Pages: 372
List Price: $29.99 USD

NetGalley and IDW Publishing were nice enough to let me view the upcoming paperback release of the Doctor Who Dave Gibbons Collection.

The graphic novels in this collection are:

The Iron Legion; City of the Damned; The Star Beast; The Dogs of Doom; The Time Witch; Dragon's Claw; The Collector; Dreamers of Earth; The Life Bringer; Way of the World; Spider-God; The Deal; The Free Fall Warriors; The Neutron Knights; The Tides of Time; and Stars Fell on Stockbridge.

G.I. Joe Vs. The Transformers
Publisher: IDW Publishing
ISBN: 9781613773529 
Pub Date: September 11, 2012
Written by: Michael Higgins
Artist: Chris Batista, Herb Trimpe, Jesse d'Orozco, Larry Hama, Steve Lieber, William Rosado

IDW Publishing is about to release the classic issues that combined G.I. Joe and The Transformers containing nine issues. I was able to read a free review copy from NetGalley this month. As a kid, I never got into comics, but I do remember watching both cartoon series and I think I had a few of the toys too. 

The original four crossover issues were released back in 1986 when I was a five-year-old. The issues are Blood on Tracks, Power Struggle, Ashes, Ashes..., and ...All Fall Down! The plot surrounds the government launching the Power Station Alpha, which is a nuclear power plant that can shoot a beam across the entire world, and of course both Decepticons and Cobra want it. They briefly make an alliance, but then Cobra learn that the Decepticons plan on destroying the planet. Spoilers: Bumblebee, Optimus Prime and Megatron are destroyed.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures Volume 1
Publisher: IDW Publishing
ISBN: 9781613772898
Pub. Date: August 28th, 2012
Pages: 120 



The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures comic book series launched in August of 1988 ended in October 1995. It was published by Archie's Comics and released 72 issues during its run. The series followed more with the 1987 cartoon series than with the original comic books, as April is a reporter, Shredder works for Krang - who's headquarters is in the technodrome, and Shredder's sidekicks are  Bebop and Rocksteady (well for the first several issues as they were eventually phased out).  IDW Publishing is now re-releasing these Turtle Adventures, starting with Volume 1 later this month. I was lucky enough to get a rough advanced readers copy provided by NetGalley and IDW Publishing. The copy I received contains the first four original issues, as IDW hadn't finished the new layout for the volume.

The first four issues are based on the season two episodes from the cartoon series, "Return of the Shredder" and the "Shrinking Turtles." Staring with issue five the series changed its tone with original storylines and added character development.

The third and final part of the Crimson Empire series was planned to be released in 2001, but was eventually cancelled. In 2008, Michael Richardson announced that he was working on the Crimson Empire III. In October 2011, Dark Horse Comics released the first of the six issues, with the last was released back in April. Courtesy of NetGalley and Dark Horse Comics, I got a chance to review the upcoming complete final volume of the Crimson Empire legacy, containing all six issues.

Kir Kanos, a former Imperial Guardsman to the late Emperor Palapatine, returns to bounty hunting after three years of hiding, when he is asked to join a group of other Imperial Guardsmen, whom want to restore the Empire.

Road Rage
Adapted by: Chris Ryall
Based on the short story "Throttle" by Stephen King & Joe Hill
Artist: Raffa Garres  and Nelson Daniel
Publisher: IDW Publishing
ISBN: 978-1613772829
Pub Date: August 21, 2012
Pages: 120

Inspired by "Duel" by Richard Matheson, the father/son team of Stephen King and Joe Hill wrote the short story "Throttle" that has been adapted into a comic book series by Chris Ryall. NetGalley and IDW Publishing have kindly allowed me to review issue one of the upcoming hardback Road Rage that will contain the entire series.

Transformers: Autocracy
Written by: Chris Metzen and Flint Dille
Artist: Livio Ramondelli 
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Pub Date: August 7, 2012
ISBN: 9781613772904

Transformers: Autocracy was originally released as a digital-only twelve part series. IDW will be releasing the entire series in one collection on August 7, 2012. Courtesy of NetGalley an IDW, I was able to review the first six issues of the series, consisting of Law & Disorder, Parasites, The Hunt for Soundwave, Cause & Effect, Ruins, and Purge.

Set after the events of Megatron: Origin, during the beginning of the Great War, the Decepticons are trying to take over Cyberton through terrorist actions. Going by Zeta Prime’s orders, Orion Pax leads a team of Autobots, which includes Hound, Ironhide, Bumblebee, Prowl, and Silverbolt, as they hunt down Swindle and Laserbeak. The Autobots barely survive the battle with them.

GRIMM FAIRY TALES: V0LUME 11
Publisher: Zenescope 
Pub Date: May 15, 2012 
ISBN: 9781937068332 
Author: Joe Brusha 
Pages: 172

In this twisted, sometimes erotic, graphic novel series, Sela Mathers (a modern day Snow White) is dealing with the aftermath of The Dream Eater Saga. She overhears an elder telling the story of Jack the Giant Killer to a group of kids. In this tale, Jack’s family is killed by a ruthless king, resulting in Jack giving up his soul to the Dark Hords in exchange for the power to destroy giants. What is shocking about this tale is that it is true.

Sela’s love‘s, Erik, soul has been captured and is now in Limbo. With the help of Druanna, she travels to the Limbo to save Eirk’s soul, but she comes face to face with the realms’ wicked leader Alicia and her deadly assassin, Jack the Giant Killer. Alicia, along with her undead army, has plans for Sela.

CREEPY PRESENTS RICHARD CORBEN
Publisher: DARK HORSE COMICS
Pub Date: JULY 24, 2012
ISBN:  9781595829191
Contributors: Richard Corben, Al Hewetson, Bill DuBay, Bruce Jones, Budd Lewis, Donald F. McGregor; Doug Moench, Gerald Conway, Grerry Boudreau, Greg Potter, Jack Butterworth, Jim Stenstrum, Rich Margopoulos, Roger McKenzie; and Steve Skeates


    Dark Horse Comics has compiled together the best stories from comic book artist Richard Corben that appeared in the Creepy and Eerie series. I requested to review an Advanced Reader's Copy from NetGalley because Richard Corben is from my home state of Missouri, and I was aware of his fun and weird illustrations. Besides from the artwork, Richard also wrote some of the stories that he illustrated.

This edition includes the following stories:

SEVERED
Authors: Scott Snyder & Scott Tuft
Art & Covers: Attila Futaki 
Publisher: IMAGE COMICS
ISBN: 9781607065296 
Pub Date: April 24, 2012
Pages: 192


     In this disturbing adult horror graphic novel, Jack Garron receives a letter that a stranger left in his grandson’s hands that shock him to his core. He starts to remember what happened to him when he was a kid.

    In 1916, Jack had recently found out that he was adopted when he received a letter from his birth father who said he was playing at the Majestic Theater in Chicago. Jack was thrilled that his father was a famous musician as Jack was very talented with a violin. One night, he says good night to his adopted mother, packs his bags along with his violin, and takes off into the night, planning on finding his father. He jumps onto a moving freight train where he is attacked by a drifter, but is luckily saved by another runaway - a girl named Sam who dresses as boy because it is safer for her to travel.

    Meanwhile in Illinois, an orphan boy’s body was found mutilated, which stuns the local police. What kind of human could do this? Or was it something else?

Title: Charmed Season 9 Volume 3 
Publisher: Zenescope 
Pub Date: April 24, 2012 
ISBN: 9781937068967 
Author: Paul Ruditis 

I caught a couple of episodes of Charmed during it’s original run, but I didn’t get a chance to really like it until I borrowed my grandmother’s complete series of it. I watched episode after episode and I had the whole series watched in three months. When I saw Season 9 Volume 3 was up for review on NetGalley, I had to request to review it.

In the continuing style of the Buffyverse comics, Charmed continues the storyline from the series finale with the Season 9 comic book series. Even though I haven’t read the first two volumes, I easily understood what was going on in Volume 3 which consists of the issues 13-19.

HOUSE OF NIGHT: LEGACY
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics 
PUB DATE: July 10, 2012
ISBN: 9781595829627 
AUTHORS: P.C. Cast, Kristin Cast, Kent Dalian
CONTRIBUTORS:  Daniel Krall, Dan Jackson, Eric Canete, Joelle Jones, Jonathan Case, Joshua Covey, Kari Kerschi, Ryan Hill, and Steve Morris



    House of Night: Legacy is set between the first novels Marked and Betrayed, and contains the first five issues: Earth, Air, Water, Fire, and Spirit. Zoey Redbird is a fledging (a future vampyr), but she is different than the others as her mark is filled in, as she is destined to lead the Daughters of Darkness even though she just wants to be a normal teen. With the help of her friends and with the guidance of Nyx, she has to learn about the five elements - earth, air, water, fire, and spirit. And in the process she learns a few life lessons.

ANGEL & FAITH VOLUME 1: LIVE THROUGH THIS
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
PUB DATE: July 3, 2012
ISBN: 9781595828873 
AUTHOR: Christos Gage
CONTRIBUTORS: Dan Jackson, Phil Noto, Rebekah Isaac, and Steve Morris


The Angel & Faith comic book series takes place during the Season 9 Buffyverse, where the renegade slayer Faith is helping Angel recuperate his way back to being good after being possessed by the “Twilight” during the season 8 comic book storyline, in which all magic was destroyed. Faith inherited Rupert Giles’s estate along with the watcher’s files after he was murdered by Angel. In the four part issue Live Through This, after defeating a demon that Giles once fought, Angel starts having visions of Giles and Jenny Calendar, whom both died by his hands. Feeling regret, Angel looks for away to bring Giles back and to make amends to the others that he hurt when he was “Twilight.”

    This series is set in London, where Angel is trying to clean up the streets by fighting the local demons with the help of Faith when she isn’t busy partying. Angel searches for Mohra blood in hope that he can reanimate Giles’s body. They are introduced to two new villains Nash and Pearl who are taking advantage of the no magic Earth.

TITLE: Adventures into the Unknown! Archives Volume 1 
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
PUB DATE: June 6, 2012
ISBN:  9781595829306
AUTHORS: Edvard Moritz, King Ward, Mac Elkan 
CONTRIBUTORS:  Al Feldstein, Al Ulmer, Bruce Jones, Fred Guardineer, Leonard Starr, Paul Reinman


Back in the 1940s a comic titled Adventures into the Unknown! hit the stands. It was published by B&I Publishing (aka American Comics Group) and was one of the earliest horror comics. The stories were more traditional and stayed away from the blood/gore horror of today, and relied more upon ghost stories and gothic novels which eventually became a popular series. Just like other comics, Adventures into the Unknown! was criticized for its violence, but it (unlike others) survived the Senate of Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency hearings of 1954. The series eventually ended in 1967 after 174 issues.

Dollhouse Volume 1: Epitaphs

PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
PUB DATE: April 11, 2012
ISBN: 9781595828637 
AUTHORS: Andrew Chambliss, Jed Whedon, Maurissa Tancharoen
CONTRIBUTORS: Andy Owens, Cliff Richards, Michelle Madsen, and Phil Noto

I only got a chance to watch few a episodes of Dollhouse during it’s original run, so I was quite interested in Epitaphs which takes place between the series episodes Epitaph One and Epitaph Two: Return, which were both set in the year 2020

Set in the future, where most of the population has been brainwashed by mental virus delivered through phones. In the process your entire memories are wiped out, but you are reprogrammed to be zombie-mindless killers. A small band of survivors are trying to undone the damage that has been done.

TITLE: Star Wars: Invasion Volume 3- Revelations
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
RELEASE DATE: April 25, 2012
ISBN: 9781595828828 
AUTHOR: Tom Taylor
CONTRIBUTORS: Chris Scalf; Colin Wilson; and Wes Dzioba 

 
TITLE: Star Wars: Knight Errant Volume 2--Deluge 
AUTHOR: John Jackson Miller
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics 
PUBLISHED DATE: June 5, 2012
ISBN: 9781595826381
ARTIST CONTRIBUTORS: David Daza, Iban Coello, Ivan Rodriguez, Joe Quinones, Michael Atiyeh, and Sergio Abad



Set in the beginning of the Old Republic, a 1,000 years before the birth of Luke Skywalker, this epic tale centers around a young female Jedi Knight named Kerra Holt, who is attempting to fight against the evil Sith Lords. The Sith Lords are trying to control large portions of the galaxy while continuing a war with the Republic. In the five issue series titled Deluge, Kerra Holt returns to the ocean world of Aquilaris, the planet she once called home, which is currently under control by the Sith Lord Daiman.

As soon as Kerra arrives she jumps into a battle against the Sith Lord’s army and she allies with other Republics. Her people have been enslaved and she’ll do anything to save them. Soon, she realizes that there is another enemy - a Hutt. Now determined more than ever, Kerra must go against all odds to stop them from flooding her home planet.

TITLE: Locke & Key Volume 5: Clockworks
PUBLISHER: IDW Publishing
RELEASE DATE: July 24, 2012
ISBN:  9781613772270
WRITER:  Joe Hill
ARTIST: Gabriel Rodriguez




IDW Publishing and NetGalley have kindly let me review the upcoming Lock & Key Volume 5 graphic novel which consist of six issues. Only the first issue, Chapter One - The Locksmith's Son, was available for me to review, which is set in the year 1775 at Lovecraft, Massachusetts Bay. Sixteen year-old Ben Locke and his younger sister Miranda watch helplessly as their parents are hanged by the redcoats. Ben promises to settle his father's debts which leads them 120 feet below ground, where they meet Colonel Adam Crais and what is left of his minutemen. The Colonel and his army had dug up a strange door, and when it was opened, it unleashed bloody thirsty demons. Ben Locke is a son of a locksmith and he is determined to create a lock strong enough to hold the door shut forever.