Preview: HEXED #1

Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Writer: Michael Alan Nelson
Artist: Dan Mora
Colors: Gabriel Cassata
Letterer: Ed Dukeshire
Cover Artist: Emma Rios, Dan Mora (Variant)
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: August 13th, 2014

WHY WE LOVE IT: Besides being one of our favorite writers, Michael Alan Nelson is one of the industry’s preeminent voices in horror, and we couldn’t be happier to be bringing back his fan-favorite creation HEXED for another dive into the depths of the Aether with an ongoing series!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT: Lucifer is the perfect mash-up of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Lara Croft. Plus, HEXED was Pretty Deadly and Amazing Spider-Man superstar Emma Rios’ introduction to the American comics scene back in 2008, and new series artist Dan Mora is poised to continue the trend with his lyrical, horrific, and wholly unique take on Lucifer.

WHAT IT’S ABOUT: Luci Jennifer Inacio Das Neves (most people just call her “Lucifer”) is a supernatural thief-for-hire, stealing wondrous objects from the dark denizens of the netherworld for her mentor/mother figure, Val Brisendine. But when Lucifer accidentally unleashes a terrible evil from one of the paintings hanging in Val’s art gallery, will any of the tricks up her sleeve be enough to stop it?

PREVIEW: Day Men #3

Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Writer: Matt Gagnon, Michael Alan Nelson
Artist: Brian Stelfreeze
Colorist: Darrin Moore
Letterer: Ed Dukeshire
Cover Artist:
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: March 5th, 2014

War continues to rage throughout the vampire underground, as David’s role for the Virgo family comes into question. But will Azalea, the mysterious matriarch, cast David out in search of a more proper wartime Day Man?

Preview: Hit #4

Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Writer: Bryce Carlson
Penciller: Vanesa R. Del Rey
Colorist: Archie Van Buren
Letterer: Ed Dukeshire
Cover Artist: Ryan Sook
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: December 18th, 2013

There’s no honor among thieves, and the same goes for crooked cops… Beaten, bloodied, and betrayed in an abandoned junkyard, the end looms near for Slater as Blair reasserts his control over the Hit Squad and exacts his plan to bring Los Angeles to its knees.

HIT #2 Review

Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Writer: Bryce Carlson
Penciller: Vanesa R. Del Rey
Colorist: Archie Van Buren
Letterer: Ed Dukeshire
Cover Artist: Ryan Sook
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: October 2nd, 2013

At the end of the first issue, Detective Harvey Slater receives the news of the death of his former partner, Ken Collins. In addition to that, he and Bonnie Brae are left with the now deceased Detective McDowell. HIT #2 opens up with some flashbacks to give readers a clearer picture of what happened between Slater and Collins. From there the story opens up and we see how some of the relationships work as well as some story progression.

There are a few things going on in this issue but it never feels overwhelming. Bryce Carlson presents several elements but his pacing keeps the story moving forward. Typically in stories of this nature the leading lady is depicted as being unable to stand on her own. Carlson avoids having the "damsel in distress" by including another segment, similar to the ending of issue #1, showing readers Bonnie is capable of handling business. The only problem I really had with this issue is that an unexpected moment seems somewhat glossed over rather quickly. That could just be an effect of telling a short story.

Vanesa R. Del Rey's style is reminiscent of old-school pulp comics and it's a perfect match for this genre. Her characters are distinct. Her panels carry a nice flow from one to the next. Archie Van Buren uses a flatter color palette which helps convey the story well. Teaming Del Rey with Van Buren is like giving readers a time-machine to travel right back to 1950's Los Angeles. Van Buren gets a bit more involved early on during the flashback with a subtle change in the coloring. I always appreciate that when you're dealing with multiple time periods. It distinguishes those while allowing the artists a bigger role in the storytelling.

HIT #2 is another quality issue in this tale of crime. While reading this issue, I briefly thought of it as an ongoing. I was quickly reminded this is only a mini and that we're halfway through it. If you're a fan of cop stories, crime fiction or just good storytelling, you'll enjoy this issue.

Score: 4.5/5

Suicide Risk #6 Preview

Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Writer: Mike Carey
Penciller: Elena Casagrande
Colorist: Andrew Elder
Letterer: Ed Dukeshire
Cover Art: Tommy Lee Edwards
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: October 2nd, 2013

Suicide Risk is a welcomed addition to the superhero genre. The cape action comes with a nice twist to keep the genre fresh. A recommended read.

Trapped in the clutches of the Nightmare Crew, Leo Winters must find a way to protect both his family…and his sanity. But Leo soon discovers the lengths he will go to do both might scare even the supervillains who have him trapped…

HIT #2 Preview

Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Writer: Bryce Carlson
Penciller: Vanesa R. Del Rey
Colorist: Archie Van Buren
Letterer: Ed Dukeshire
Cover Art: Ryan Sook
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: October 2nd, 2013

The second issue of BOOM! Studios' hit, HIT, (sorry) is ready to strike. I've given the creators much love on Twitter for the first issue and can't wait to read this one. If you haven't read HIT #1, it's never too late. After that, go pick this up tomorrow.

Harvey Slater has fifteen pounds of Baja reefer stashed in the trunk of his car. He’s having sex with his commanding officer’s daughter. There’s a dead cop lying in his living room. And his problems are just getting started…The Hit Squad is coming under fire for their sloppy job on the Infantino hit, and tragedy strikes as those closest to Slater are picked off, one by one…

BOOM! Studios HIT #1 Sells Out, 2nd Print Coming

You may remember my tweet about temporarily avoiding the obvious pun with BOOM! Studios' HIT upon reading the first issue. I hope the comic book gods can forgive me for this, because that time is over. It's official: HIT #1 is a hit!

The debut series from writer Bryce Carlson and artist Vanessa R. Del Rey sold out of its 10,000 copy print run within a week of its September 4th release. Joining Carlson and Del Rey in presenting this noir tale are colorist Archie Van Burden and letterer Ed Dukeshire.

From the press release:

"We're thrilled to announce HIT #1 has sold out of its first print," says BOOM! Studios Editor-in-Chief Matt Gagnon. "HIT is one of the series I'm most proud of this year. It's always a great feeling when something you believe in is embraced by comic book readers."

If you missed HIT #1, it's not too late to jump on. For the download crowd, Comixology always has you covered. If you fancy a print copy, the second print will ship with a new cover by Del Rey on October 2nd alongside issue #2. This is a highly recommended book not only for crime noir fans but for everyone because it's just a good comic.