Review Darth Maul #1

Star Wars fans will be very pleased to note that Darth Maul finally has his own series from Marvel Comics. I was surprised that Poe Dameron got his own series well before the bad boy of the Sith, but it's here and the good news is that it rocks!

Cullen Bunn writes terrific action sequences, and this issue starts with a big game hunt of sorts. Darth Maul is bored and very tired of waiting for Darth Sidious' nefarious plans to germinate. He's a straightforward guy who just wants to get about the business of killing Jedi.

Issue #1 is a blast, and I reviewed it for the folks at CBR. Read it HERE.

Broken Frontier Staff Picks Feb. 1, 2017

This week's Staff Picks from Broken Frontier include my pick of Farmer Ned's Comics Barn, the latest work from underground avant-garde cartoonist Gerald Jablonski.

And if the art isn't enough to entice you to pick up the book, Jablonski granted his first in-print interview to Fantagraphics Books publisher Gary Groth. Right, so there you go.

You can read the preview HERE.

Review Batman '66 Meets Wonder Woman '77

Cover by Alex Ross

I know what you're thinking. I was thinking it too when I read the title of the book and learned that DC Comics was going to pair up (somehow) two of the most wholesome characterizations of its flagship characters. I thought they couldn't possibly pull it off.

I'm so glad I was wrong--this comic is fantastic fun!

You have to check your angst at the door to enjoy this book, there is no Dark Knight Returns in this universe. And that's just fine. If you're looking for a good story told well by people who obviously understand and appreciate these characters, this is the book for you.

I did a full review for the folks at Comic Book Resources, and you can read it HERE.

The next step is to spread the word about the book. It's easy enough to complain about the not-so-great comics that hit the shelves each month, we should also remember to applaud the terrific ones. This six-issue limited series is off to a wonderful start.

Review Moon Knight #10

Back on track with my writing schedule for Comic Book Resources, I reviewed last week's release of Moon Knight #10. Marc Spector is crazy. On that we all agree. It's just that between the readers and Marc himself, no one has a clue as to what's real and what's not. Every time I think I have the plot figured out, writer Jeff Lemire throws a beautiful curve ball and assures me that I know zip. And that's what makes this crazy series so much fun!

For my full review, go HERE.

Do yourself a favor and add this one to your pull list. It's a gem.

Broken Frontier's Staff Picks for Jan. 11

Hard Case Crime teamed up with Titan Comics in 2016 and launched two successful comics titles, Triggerman and Peepshow. Their latest collaboration, [Re]Assignment #1, is for mature readers and arrives on shelves today.

Go HERE for my preview of the title for Broken Frontier.

Hard Case Crime's Latest Release: The Knife Slipped

A longtime fan of noir, I'm a huge fan of Charles Ardai's brilliant publishing house, Hard Case Crime. It specializes in new releases from favorite authors like Max Allan Collins but includes a juicy lineup of books that haven't been on the shelves in decades from authors like Ed McBain and Mickey Spillane. And Ardai somehow unearths never-before-published material like Forever and a Death by Donald Westlake that will arrive in June 2017.

The house usually releases one title per month. This month's book is The Knife Slipped by Earl Stanley Gardner.

Here's its press release:

At the time of his death, Erle Stanley Gardner was the best-selling American author of the 20th century, and world famous as the creator of crusading attorney Perry Mason. Gardner also created the hardboiled detective team of Cool and Lam, stars of 29 novels published between 1939 and 1970—and one that’s never been published until now.

Lost for more than 75 years, THE KNIFE SLIPPED was meant to be the second book in the series but got shelved when Gardner’s publisher objected to (among other things) Bertha Cool’s tendency to "talk tough, swear, smoke cigarettes, and try to gyp people." But this tale of adultery and corruption, of double-crosses and triple identities —however shocking for 1939—shines today as a glorious present from the past, a return to the heyday of private eyes and shady dames, of powerful criminals, crooked cops, blazing dialogue, and delicious plot twists.

Donald Lam has never been cooler—not even when played by Frank Sinatra on the U.S. Steel Hour of Mystery in 1946. Bertha Cool has never been tougher. And Erle Stanley Gardner has never been better.

• First publication ever!
• Erle Stanley Gardner is one of the most popular American authors of all time, with over 100 million books sold
• Brand new cover painting by Robert McGinnis of modern-day pin-up icon Dita von Teese
• Brand new afterword by former Ellery Queen editor Russell Atwood about Gardner, Cool & Lam, and THE KNIFE SLIPPED 

Vintage Truck -- December Blog Post

December shows featuring a charitible component were the selections for my blog post over at Vintage Truck Magazine this month. Tis the season for giving, and it's impressive how much car shows and car clubs give back to their local communities. These aren't the kinds of stories that will ever make the news, of course, but I'll never tire of hearing about (or writing about) people doing the great small things that add up to a big impact in their corner of the world.