Halloween may be over but comiXologist Shane-Michael Vidaurri recommends horror comics any time…

VAMPIRES WILL NEVER HURT YOU by Jude Vigants

Vampires Will Never Hurt you is a wonderful, chilling, short comic by Jude Vigants based on the My Chemical Romance song by the same name. It tells the story of Jamie, a non-binary teenager, and their best friend Vicky, who are being tormented by Travis, a sadistic bully who has been upping his threats as Halloween draws nearer. Vicky confesses that they don’t feel safe going out, but Jamie argues that they won’t let Travis ruin their Halloween fun, no matter what horror he threatens them with. It’s a sad reminder that for some people, the scariest thing about Halloween is the people who don’t have to wear masks. Vicky drops the costume they were planning on wearing to the ground, and says definitively that they aren’t going out.

Jamie decides to go anyway, it’s Halloween, damn it. So they are pleasantly surprised when they meet up with Vicky as they begin to trick or treat, or at least, someone wearing the same mask that Vicky had. It must be Vicky, right?
Who else could it be?

Jude Vigants’s pacing and bold inks set a creepy, dark mood in this short story that is impressive in it’s depth. The artwork has bold spot blacks that are reminiscent of The Long Halloween and Guy Davis’s work on B.P.R.D., but the story is more in line with the themes and stakes of more recent and socially conscious horror of films like Green Room and Get Out. For $2.99 this book provides a perfect Halloween scare full of gore and chills, as well as a frank reflection of our current social climate, from the perspective of the people who fight to survive the horror that lives everyday, not just Halloween. But maybe, it contains the hope that something out there in the dark would help us fight against it.

A comiXologist recommends…

Super Sons #7

Super Sons has quickly become one of my favorite ongoing series. It’s fun, wacky, exciting, and the art is gorgeous. For those who haven’t been following along, the series follows Superboy and Robin, biological children of Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne, as they fumble their way through their solo superheroic adventures without their parents. Damian plays the angry, cranky, condescending figure with all of the attitude but none of the gravitas of Batman. Jon is a bright-eyed, idealistic, and often naive stand-in for Superman, who seemingly always struggles to get the same amount of respect as his darker counterpart.  I love the dynamic between Damian and Jon. They’re fun, exaggerated versions of how a cynical audience views their fathers.

This issue is the second part of the Super Sons/Teen Titans crossover, “Planet of the Capes.” Last issue, Robin got changed from a young boy (who thought Superboy was too young for the Teen Titans) into an old man (who’s fine with it, because he can’t be bothered to care anymore at that age). Peter Tomasi’s writing on these past few issues has been top notch. Watching a B-List villain summon other B-List villains to fight the Sons and the Teen Titans was so much fun. On top of that, Jorge Jimenez is one of my favorite artists right now. Everything he does is so pretty and energetic. He finds ways to do that manga thing where he pulls off great, seamless storytelling but still manages to make just about every panel look like a dazzling pin-up. It works perfectly for this kind of series as the book’s characters are manic, high-intensity kids. Add in really visually interesting characters like Beast Boy, Raven, Aqualad, and Starfire, and this book quickly jumps to the top of my list for this week.

Jonah Chuang is a Technical Account Manager at Comixology. He likes Superboy better than Robin

A comiXologist recommends…

STAR WARS: DOCTOR APHRA #11

This week’s issue of Star Wars: Doctor Aphra (issue #11) was so great! Part III of the Enormous Profit story arc, this week’s story sees major changes in the dynamic of the whole series. Triple-Zero and Beetee, the scary but funny killer droids who have been reluctantly complying with Aphra (but slowly working to subvert her) have finally found their way around the restrictions she’s placed on them. Now they’ve unleashed mayhem in the form of a killer ghost-Jedi-robot. 

A couple of issues ago, Triple-Zero, the homicidal C-3PO, took advantage of one of Aphra’s poorly worded commands and set a plan into motion that would take them out of her service and free them to kill indiscriminately once again. While Aphra’s been distracted by trying to auction off her Jedi Holy Grail to the galaxy’s most unsavory and struggling with the moral and historical implications thereof, the droids have contacted Vader, hijacked the ship’s weapons and set the angry Jedi ghost loose on the buyers. Aphra spends this issue running and gunning with bodies falling all around her before the shoe finally drops. 

The Doctor Aphra series has gone from Indiana Jones-like “historical” action/adventure to a heist story to a high-class tale of criminal intrigue. This issue, more than the previous issues, feels like classic Star Wars, with its over-the-top blaster fire, comedic dialogue, dismembered limbs, and untrustworthy aliens. It’s funny, exciting, and has severe and lasting consequences. It moves quickly and leaves the reader wanting more. Top notch story-telling!

Perhaps the best part of this issue is how it sets up the next issue. It seems like all the seeds that writer Kieron Gillen planted throughout this series are blooming. Aphra’s been adventuring around the universe making terrible and powerful enemies. Now, backed into a corner, with all her former allies turned against her, she faces the scary consequences of her actions. Can’t wait to see how it all unfolds and how/if she gets out of this one.

Jonah Chuang is a Technical Account Manager at comiXology. He hopes one day Doctor Aphra makes a cameo in a Star Wars movie or maybe get her own movie.

A comiXologist recommends…

CLUE #1

This new series from writer Paul Allor and artist Nelson Daniel is a murder mystery to keep us guessing.  But why guess when we can follow the clues?  I’m pretty sure this is an all-too-legit murder mystery story where we can get enough information to solve it ourselves.  This might be the new story I’ll chart on some corkboard next to my Twin Peaks theories and Riverdale season 2 predictions while I wait for them to come back.  

If, like me, you’ve enjoyed the Parker Brothers’ classic game of whodunit, Clue, or the film starring Tim Curry and Madeleine Kahn of the same name, then you’ve wanted to see how this series was going to turn out.  As opening issues go it’s a whirlwind of intrigue and….MURDER.  It sets a tone of heavy handed mystery drama against a more easy-going design style.  Together Allor and Daniel create a very magnetic hold.

Like Clue the board game, Clue the comic series is rife with bloody murder starting with a classic dinner scene introducing our colorful cast of suspects—er uh, guests.  They are guests because nobody has died.  Did I say “died?” I meant “killed.”  

Because of course somebody, one of the guests we are introduced to, kills the host. The host, Mr. A. Boddy, gets plugged right in the chest.

Two detectives are called in to investigate the brutal slaying on this dreary night, and just when they think they have the suspect, a few new twists come up to really make this a head scratcher of a conundrum.

If we put our heads together I bet we can solve it.

Matthew Burbridge is a Digital Editor at ComiXology and he’s been really considering using this space at the end of his reviews to write a short novel and see if someone will notice/tell him to stop.  No time like the present, eh?

1:  Lawrence had been working the docks for a few years.

A comiXologist recommends…

BATMAN/ELMER FUDD

Tom King and Lee Weeks bring about the most old-school Batman story this year.  Elmer Fudd is an intense as all heck gun for hire who has been sent to take out Bugs “The Bunny,” a sleazy crook who hangs out at Porky’s Bar down the way.  After a brilliant opening monologue in Fudd’s trademark Rhotacism up against Bugs’s clever roundabout ploys the hunter goes looking for Bruce Wayne.  It isn’t Wabbit Season.  It’s Bat Season.

This is some simple fun for everyone who loves Looney Tunes and Batman. Weeks’s art is intense classical Batman noir which always works on me and anybody with eyes.  Tom King’s writing is intensely hysterical because it has all the beats of a good Looney Tunes or Merrie Melodies short while capturing the crisp, rain drenched sulk of our favorite crime thrillers.

This one issue is one for the ages, and I hope to high heaven it becomes canon.

Most importantly, EVERYONE should try to read Fudd’s dark dialogue out loud and as grim as they can make it.  

Matthew Burbridge is a Digital Editor at ComiXology and he thinks you’re super cool.

A comiXologist recommends…

BILL & TED SAVE THE UNIVERSE #1

Written by Brian Jones
Art by Bachan and Alex Guimarães

It’s about friendship.  It’s about love and loss.  It’s about the ever-expanding universe and the steady creep of time slowly closing the icy grip of death around you.

I am completely kidding.  Death is actually a really nice guy even when you beat him at every game in the universe.  He’s also an accomplished bassist and best friends with Bill S. Preston, esq. and “Ted” Theodore Logan.  Yeah, THE Bill S. Preston, esq and THE “Ted” Theodore Logan.  

And since we’re talking about the most righteous heroes in the known universe I should tell you they’re back with a new series!!  Bill and Ted Save the Universe #1 is here with an all-new wild adventure with the Wyld Stallyns!  The expanding canon attached to this most legendary pairing is stepping into its next big chapter, so now is the right time to jump onto their adventures!

With the clever comedy writing of Brian Jones and the illustrative prowess of Bachan, Bill & Ted’s music spreads across the cosmos to end all wars and suffering, but a mysterious new force seeks to halt the harmonious peace times left in the wake of the Wyld Stallyns.  They’ve been to Heaven, Hell, and most places throughout time on earth.  Now they’re headed for the stars.

Get on this series now, because crazy things happen all the time.  Abe Lincoln got a lightsaber in the last one, so there’s that.

And as always: SAN DIMAS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL RULES!

Matthew Burbridge is a Digital Editor at ComiXology and recently self-proclaimed shellfish blogger.

A comiXologist recommends…

WINNEBAGO GRAVEYARD #1

A very big want I’ve had lately was for a horror comic from a voice I hadn’t seen in a little bit.  Not to say Steve Niles hasn’t been busy or present, I just had a hankering for some horror and this looked right up my alley.  With sleepy small town vibes, out of the darkness comes the haunting opening to Winnebago Graveyard.

Issue #1 of this new spooky tale leaves readers asking questions and scratching our heads as we roll along through the introduction of a typical American suburban family – a wife and mother, her son, and the new husband and step-dad.  The strained relationships of families is a classic trope of the horror genre. The works of Guillermo Del Toro are prime examples of the importance of family in horror.

We join the family on a nice little jaunt through a small, middle-of-nowhere carnival only to find their Winnebago and phones missing when they return (Because dad wanted everyone to be “present.”  What does that even mean, DAD?!).  Forced to find the nearest small town for aide, the three start their trek through scary cult country.

This is a tremendously quick first issue and exceptionally well presented in Sampson’s particular brand of gestural design and blocking.  The angles feel hard, like an effective pushed perspective, but the characters flow through it in the best kind of planned mess only the most confident can do.  Sampson is very confident.

Also, the cover is making me ask a lot of questions about the direction the plot is going.  I’m into this book so far.  

Matthew Burbridge is a Digital Editor at ComiXology and he really wants folks to hit him up about the new Twin Peaks. He’s watched it 3 times through now and is itching to talk about it.

A comiXologist recommends…

LETTERS FOR LUCARDO Vol. 1

Ed Fielder is a 61-year-old scrivener at the palace of the Night Court. Ed is quite mortal, something that’s not a given in this world. Ed is so dedicated to his work that he barely notices when his most frequent client, Lucardo Von Gishaupt, one of the immortal and forever-young aristocrats, flirts with him. 

Lucardo is a handsome man with enticing eyes, and Ed wonders why such a man of high rank would ever want to be with him. But after Ed’s initial hesitation, their romance blossoms, which causes friction in Lucardo’s family, who are not too pleased to see their immortal son spending his time with a mortal. Especially a mortal nearing so close to his twilight years. And Ed has to overcome his feeling of inadequacy while being around people who have not only lived a life of luxury he cannot understand, but who also joke of drinking blood.

Letters for Lucardo is Noora Heikkilä’s first in a four-part series focusing on these star-crossed lovers of the Night Court. The book is masterfully illustrated and the characters are portrayed as real and vulnerable. The scenes in the Night Court, with veiled figures enshrouded by candlelight, are intriguing. But Heikkilä truly shines when it comes to how natural a simple laugh bursting out of Lucardo feels. Or how palpable the dawning horror becomes as we watch Ed realize he has woken up in the bed of Lucardo’s father, The Lord of the Night Court.

The romance of Lucado works because Heikkilä has created an intriguing world and characters we come to adore. Any fan of romance, vampires, or court intrigue will find something to love here.

(This is an adult graphic novel. It contains adult situations and content, and is inappropriate for anyone under age 18.)

S.M. Vidaurri is a digital editor at comiXology. He is a cartoonist, a musician, a writer, and is the human subjugate of three beautiful cats. You can find his work in Adventure Time Marshall Lee Spectacular, a comiXology Original.

A comiXologist recommends…

THE FLASH #21

Flash #21 continues right where Batman #21 ended, but this time it’s from The Flash’s perspective. I can’t say enough positive things about this storyline so far. It has so many of the great things from Rebirth—levity, legacy devices, callbacks to storylines long past—along with the freshness and edge that came from the New 52 relaunch.

Where Batman #21 was heavily saturated in intense action and mystery, this issue takes us on a fun CSI sci-fi journey featuring the incomparable cosmic treadmill! Yes, that’s right – one of my favorite old-school DC plot devices makes its triumphant return in this issue. With Batman and The Flash stumped about what happened to the Reverse Flash, Barry and Bruce have no choice but to use the time travel treadmill to follow Thawne’s path through time and the multiverse to see what he saw and find out what killed him. To deepen the mystery, it seems like the prime suspect might wind up being the Flash himself (or a version of him—either alternate dimension or future).

There were a lot of really fun elements in this story as well. For one, seeing Alfred and Barry hang out while Bruce rests is a sight not often seen (not by me at least). It was also interesting to see Batman hang on to the cosmic treadmill using a bat-line while the Flash ran through time and the multiverse.

That isn’t to say that this book is all fun and frivolity. There are some heavy elements and substantial reflections in this book as well. Flashbacks (no pun intended– this is serious) to Barry’s death in the Crisis on Infinite Earths. Cameo by Johnny Thunder and a callout to the loss of the DCU JSA. A particularly illustrative simile comparing steering the cosmic treadmill to trying to catch a single, specific snowflake in a snowstorm. The creators of this storyline and the team over at DC are doing an amazing job of managing ‘The Button’ so far. I can’t wait to see what comes next.

Jonah Chuang is a Technical Account Manager at comiXology. Some gal in Surrey sent him flowers today and he loves them.

A comiXologist recommends…

BATMAN #21 by Tom King, Jason Fabok, & Brad Anderson

Holy crap, what an amazing issue! After the unbelievable bombshells that dropped in DCU Rebirth, the new DC Universe stayed in a holding pattern for a bit while the characters settled into their new status quo. Batman #21 brings us back to those electrifying and world-changing storylines. The book starts with an ominous prophecy from a fan favorite legacy character and then leads into the dark mystery surrounding the bloody Watchmen button found at the end of Rebirth. This issue does not fail to deliver on the promises set up in Rebirth. The weight of the revelations are profound and are sure to lay the base for all the upcoming heavy-hitting arcs that spread throughout the DCU. 

Not into crossovers? Totally fine. This issue definitely stands up on its own as well. In fact, it’s impressive how far the storytelling pushes the limits of what comics can do. Without giving anything away, Batman has a pretty crazy fight scene in this book. It is, with no exaggeration, one the most impressive comic book fight scenes that I’ve ever seen. The way the artist and writer play with the progression of time and set up driving elements is stellar. I found myself on the edge of my seat with this book, more eager than I’ve ever been to turn the page and see what happens next. 

I can’t fully articulate what a pleasure this book was to read, and how excited I am for the next issue. From the deep mystery surrounding the Comedian’s button buried in the Batcave wall, to the return of some really important characters long thought gone or erased, to the way the storytelling was done in this issue, Batman #21 is worth every bit of the marketing campaign that DC has thrown behind it.

Jonah Chuang is a Technical Account Manager at comiXology. He’s a bigger Superman fan than a Batman fan, but this book might change that.

A comiXologist recommends…

X-MEN BLUE #1

X-Men Blue is so great! After months and months of epic crossovers and events, the X-Men characters settle into their new status quo. This specific title follows the teenage versions of the original five X-Men, now permanently part of the main universe, as they learn and grow under the weight of their predecessors’ legacies.

X-Men Blue returns to the classic dynamic of the original team but still feels fresh because of the recent time travel-y experiences that the team has gone through—sort of like the Ultimate Universe did when it first came out, only better since this lives in main continuity and plays off of the characters’ long history. Also, it’s cool seeing the old X-Men discover everything for the first time in a modern context. It’s a bit reminiscent of the Smallville TV series in that way. Most of the characters are still the same but with slight modifications that have got me curious and excited about future issues. One big difference is that Jean now leads the team instead of Scott. I’m loving the new dynamic that creates!

I went into this issue totally blind so it was surprise after surprise for me, and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride. I recommend going in that way, especially if you’ve been keeping up with the recent X-Books. If, however, you need a little more convincing, you should know that Beast now uses magic, Angel has cosmic wings, the main villain in this is the Juggernaut, the team is now based out of Madripoor, and Magneto now serves as the Professor X figure.

The most exciting parts about this issue for me were the teasers for what’s to come at the end. I won’t give these away but suffice it to say that we’ll soon see the team tackle lots of other throwbacks (both recent and distant past), which should really reward long time readers for their X-loyalty.

Jonah Chuang is a Technical Account Manager at Comixology. He thinks Magneto WAS right.