Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for June 13 2012

DARK HORSE COMICS

APR120019 BTVS SEASON 9 FREEFALL #10 JEANTY VAR CVR $2.99
APR120018 BTVS SEASON 9 FREEFALL #10 NOTO CVR $2.99
APR120032 CONAN THE BARBARIAN #5 $3.50
APR120008 MASSIVE #1 WOOD CVR $3.50
FEB120057 NGE SHINJI IKARI RAISING PROJECT TP VOL 11 $9.99
APR120036 STAR WARS KNIGHT ERRANT ESCAPE #1 (OF 5) CARRE CVR $3.50
APR120029 STRAIN #5 (OF 12) (MR) $3.50

Review: BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER SEASON 9 #6

"Nikki the Vampire Slayer"
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER SEASON 9 #6
DARK HORSE COMICS

WRITER: Andrew Chambliss
PENCILS: Georges Jeanty
INKS: Karl Story
COLORS: Michelle Madsen
LETTERS: Richard Starkings and Comicraft’s Jimmy Betancourt
ALTERNATE COVER: Georges Jeanty with Dexter Vines and Michelle Madsen (Cover A by Phil Noto)
28pp, Color, $2.99 U.S.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 is a comic book series that debuted in 2007 and ended in 2011. Produced by the creator of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer television series, Joss Whedon, the comic book expanded on the events of the TV show’s last televised season, which was Season 7. Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 is a sequel to Season 8, and both series are canonical, meaning that the events in these comic book series are part of the television series’ universe and continuity.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 #6 (“On Your Own” Part One) opens in New York City in 1973, where it finds the Pam Grier-like slayer, Nikki, and her Watcher, Crowley, dealing with vampires. Nikki, however, has an even bigger problem that may actually be more complicated than dealing with slaying vampires.

Back in the present, Spike stands in for Buffy. The bleached-blond vampire assists San Francisco Police Department Detective Dowling in dealing with zompires, and also gives the cop some information on vampires, in general. Meanwhile, Buffy’s own personal problems lead her to Nikki’s son, Robin Wood, and a momentous decision.

I think that it’s been about five years since I’ve read a Buffy comic book, although I did read an issue of Angel & Faith last year (which I liked). I doubt that this ninth issue of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 will create many new Buffy fans (if any), but I think Buffy fans will likely enjoy it.

This story isn’t necessarily about slaying, although there is some slaying. On Your Own is a story of mother and child, and it is a bit surprising, even poignant. It shows the dramatic side of Buffy, and the character drama is what makes Buffy the Vampire Slayer like no other vampire thing.

B+

Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for May 9 2012

DARK HORSE COMICS

MAR120048 ALABASTER WOLVES #2 (OF 5) $3.50
JAN120107 BLOOD BLOCKADE BATTLEFRONT TP VOL 02 $10.99
MAR120046 BTVS SEASON 9 FREEFALL #9 JEANTY VAR CVR $2.99
MAR120045 BTVS SEASON 9 FREEFALL #9 NOTO CVR $2.99
FEB120072 DRAGON AGE II EMBROIDERED PATCH CHANTRY $4.99
FEB120073 DRAGON AGE II EMBROIDERED PATCH KIRKWALL $4.99
FEB120074 DRAGON AGE II EMBROIDERED PATCH QUANARI $4.99
FEB120075 DRAGON AGE II EMBROIDERED PATCH TEMPLARS $4.99
JAN120105 FLCL OMNIBUS GN $19.99
MAR120041 LOBSTER JOHNSON THE BURNING HAND #5 (OF 5) $3.50
JAN120102 SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN TP VOL 11 $19.99
MAR120016 STAR WARS KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC WAR #5 (OF 5) $3.50

Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for April 11 2012

DARK HORSE COMICS

FEB120028 ALABASTER WOLVES #1 (OF 5) RUTH CVR $3.50
JAN118120 BERSERK TP VOL 21 (MR) $14.99
DEC110073 BRODYS GHOST BOOK 03 $6.99
FEB120034 BTVS SEASON 9 FREEFALL #8 JEANTY VAR CVR $2.99
FEB120033 BTVS SEASON 9 FREEFALL #8 NOTO CVR $2.99
NOV110056 CLASSIC MARVEL CHARACTERS FF #3 HUMAN TORCH $49.95
FEB120022 CONAN THE BARBARIAN #3 CARNEVALE CVR $3.50
FEB120017 DARK MATTER #4 (OF 4) $3.50
DEC110074 DOLLHOUSE EPITAPHS TP VOL 01 $18.99
JAN120124 DOMO DRESS MAGNET SET $8.99
FEB120036 LOBSTER JOHNSON THE BURNING HAND #4 (OF 5) JOHNSON CVR $3.50
DEC110081 MAGIC KNIGHT RAYEARTH DARK HORSE OMNIBUS ED VOL 02 (RES) $19.99
FEB120021 ORCHID #6 (MR) $3.50
FEB120011 STAR WARS AGENT O/T EMPIRE IRON ECLIPSE #5 (OF 5) $3.50
FEB120013 STAR WARS KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC WAR #4 (OF 5) $3.50

I Reads You Review: ANGEL AND FAITH #1

ANGEL & FAITH #1
DARK HORSE COMICS

WRITER: Christos Gage
ART: Rebekah Isaacs
COLORS: Dan Jackson
LETTERS: Jimmy Betancourt
COVER: Steve Morris (alternative cover by Jo Chen and 25th anniversary cover by Georges Jeanty, Dexter Vines, and JD Mettler)
32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S.

Angel & Faith is a new comic book series that ties into Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine, and both reportedly will run for 25 issues. Angel and Faith are characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the television series created by Joss Whedon. Angel (portrayed by actor David Boreanaz) is a vampire whose soul was restored as punishment for his crimes. Faith Lehane (played by Eliza Dishku) is a Slayer, a girl endowed with supernatural abilities who battles evil creatures like vampires and demons.

Angel & Faith #1 (“Live Through This” Part One) opens after the events of Twilight, which saw Angel kill the Watcher, Rupert Giles. Now, with access to the Watcher files, Angel is picking up Giles’ old cases with rebel Slayer, Faith, along for the fun. Meanwhile, two figures from Angel’s Twilight past, Nash and Pearl, are looking for some serious payback.

You don’t have to be familiar with the recent Buffy or Angel spin-off comic book series to enjoy or understand Angel & Faith, although knowing even a little about the two characters helps. First, I should say that I enjoyed reading this… for the most part. The art by Rebekah Isaacs is well-drawn and the storytelling is good. The writing by Christos Gage is technically good. Why technically?

Like most comic books published over the last decade (and longer for some publishers), Angel & Faith #1 is the first chapter in a serialized “graphic novel” or story arc that will eventually be published in a trade paperback edition. This first issue hops around from one subplot to the next, and there are multiple points of view or narrators. There is so much exposition and dialogue that one could see this as an illustrated short story or chapter of an illustrated novel more so than it is a comic book. Still, I must emphasis that this is a good comic book, but it’s like reading a part of a story instead of being a story.

B