Check out my review of MONDO #1 from Image Comics and Shadowline. Click (or cluck?) if you like jumbo chickens and crazy girls on roller skates.

This month’s Marvel special includes reviews of NEW MUTANTS #37, SCARLET SPIDER #2, and WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN #5. Check ‘em out!

Reviews of Wonder Woman, Supergirl, and Superboy #5 are available at Impulse Creations. Find out which ones are super and which ones are in need of major saving.

Recently I chatted with Joshua Luna, the talent behind the new comic Whispers. In the interview, he talks a little about the challenges of going solo as both writer and artist and what readers can expect from the mini-series.

Joshua Luna (as in the Luna Brothers) is putting out a solo entry this Wednesday called Whispers #1, which I wholeheartedly recommend. My advance review is now online.

London Horror Comic

“V” is by far the shining gem of the five stories included in LHC #4. It’s a Superman and Lex Luthor spoof, where Superman once again outsmarts Lex “Loofer” and dooms him to work in a coffee shop as an alternative to jail time. It’s done so tastefully, authentically, and with such charm and style that you’d swear DC Comics could have thought it up themselves. This piece best demonstrates the talent and creativity of Kamath and his main artists, Lee Ferguson and Dean Kotz.

“Tough All Over” is another excellent short that’s relevant to the times, especially here in America. After a store manager kicks out a homeless shopper for causing trouble, he gets his own bitter taste of joblessness. The story sends a harsh message to those who take their jobs for granted and resonates well with the rising percentage of Americans who are unemployed or fresh out of college or graduate school with meager options.

“Drive Thru’” comes in third, appealing greatly to the Buffy crowd (particularly watchers of the Doublemeat Palace episodes). What makes this story interesting is the way it both breaks and adheres to conventions regarding blonde, female beauties in the horror genre.

While not nearly as stand-out as the previous three, “The Passenger” provides a good introduction to the style of London Horror Comic—and with a good sense of pace and anxiety, it can set the reader on edge. “Skyscrapped” is definitely the weakest of the five, but it’s an ongoing trademark of the London Horror Comic series: a brief, wordless story meant to unsettle the reader.

London Horror Comic #4 is a good investment, especially if you want to support indie creators and especially if you want more from this underused comics genre.

Rating: 4/5

Happy New Year! Start 2012 off right with three must-read indie comics: The Strain #1, House of Night #2, and Dark Horse Presents #7.

Adventure Time with Finn and Jake, one of Cartoon Network’s best new cartoons, has finally infiltrated the comics sphere. Ryan North of Dinosaur Comics will be penning the ongoing series for BOOM! Studios’ all-ages imprint, KaBOOM!. Various indie writers and artists are scheduled to contribute with covers and secondary stories, including Jeffery Brown, Emily Carroll, Scott C., Lucy Knisley, and Aaron Renier.

As a recent interview with North suggests, an Adventure Time comic could be a great platform for filling in the gaps of the show and giving more attention to underdeveloped characters.

“In addition to the on-model, issue-to-issue story that Shelli and Braden and I are working on (on-model means it’ll look like the show does), there will be a 5-8 page artist-driven story (done in their own style!) in each issue that focuses on a different supporting character, along with 1-2 special artist covers per issue,” said North. “It’s going to be awesome! We’re cramming in as much awesome per page as legally allowed.”

You can read more about what to expect from the upcoming series over at Newsarama. Now all we need is an Adventure Time video game, which honestly I’d rather choose over the in-the-works South Park RPG.

Maybe your holiday shopping isn’t over, and you’re looking for that last-minute gift for your cousin come New Year’s Eve. Or maybe Santa was extra nice and slipped a few twenties in your stocking. Whatever the case, here are ten comic book and graphic novel ideas to fill that lonely space under the tree. Read about my picks here.

This annual has been a long time coming. Check out my review of the new Hellblazer Annual.