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Detective Raphael Styx of Ostend, Belgium, is on the hunt for a notorious serial killer known as "The Stuffer" because he fills his victims full of sand and then poses them as 'art' in public places. Styx is a bit late in life, his marriage is on the rocks, his hip hurts him all the time, and, yeah, he's a bit corrupt to boot. But even with ties to the Belgian underworld, Styx doesn't have any leads.  If he wants to solve this before the ambitious new guy, Detective Delacroix, makes the case, he'll need to think outside the box a bit. Detective Styx is just about to nab the notorious killer through a chance encounter when he is killed by a gunshot to the chest. But Styx is too stubborn to let something as simple as death stop him from catching a murderer - his own murderer! Styx recognizes his now unique opportunity to move around in the dark alleys and slums as he blends in with the criminal element. But his undead, zombie self has other issues that will ...

Velveteen is a superhero with a chip on her shoulder. Raised in the Super Patriots, Inc. since being discovered to have super abilities as a child, Velveteen was one of the early superhumans to leave the corporate atmosphere for independence. This didn't sit well in the world of corporate greed, of course, and she marked as a villain by the corporate desk jockeys (though she managed to become the official superhero for the state of Oregon).  More recently, Velveteen and her friends defeated  the Super Patriots, Inc., though to do so, Velveteen had to make a bargain with Santa Claus and now she has to pay the price for his aid (the consequences of her actions). While the world rebuilds and reinvents itself after the loss of one of the biggest superhero organizations, Velveteen must spend a specific amount of time in the Seasonal Lands. Velveteen spends time in Winter, Spring, and Fall, solving unique problems in each season, drawing on her power of animating inanimate objects. ...

It is 1876 in London and Minnie Ward - a scriptwriter at the Variety Palace Music Hall - discovers her best friend, Rose, dead.  Knowing Rose as she did, Minnie refuses to believe that her friend took her own life and decides she needs to look into the circumstances around her death. To that end, Minnie gets help from former police officer-turned private detective, Albert Easterbrook. Easterbrook is pretty busy - he's trying to catch the notorious Hairpin Killer - someone who continues to  eluded the police - but for Minnie, Albert takes on the assignment. Together, the two of them discover some of the worst places and people of London, and bodies begin to pile up around them.The next could be their own if they aren't careful. I am a sucker for historical fiction of this period and I'll pick up any book that takes place theaters or music halls, and features people in the entertainment industry. The Tumbling Girl would seem to be just the sort of book that I'd enjoy. An...

 With high school graduation just around the corner, Peter is eager to move on with the next chapter in his life and maybe learn more about himself and his adoptive family. But while at the amusement park, Wonderland, Peter has an encounter with his fencing rival, Jillian Hook. The two get into a scrabble and fall through a funhouse mirror and into a strange world.  Peter is off, looking for his sister, Alice, but talking cats and pirate ships in the sky will thwart his search. I was drawn to this book because a) I'm a sucker for anything in the Alice in Wonderland world, and b) the concept here is really kind of brilliant. [And c) that's a pretty awesome cover.] Tossing Peter Pan into Alice's world (and presumably the next book will have Alice in Peter's world?) seems like such an obvious mash-up I don't know why it hasn't been done sooner. That said, I did have a slight problem with the character of Peter here.  He's not quite the Peter Pan we know from th...

The crew of the rocketship Vidar head to a desolate world in search of a missing patrol ship and discover a threat that could mean the end of all humanity. That's a short summation but it's a short book. The Shadow Planet is originally a French graphic novel that has been translated and reissued in the US by Image Comics. Author Giovanni Barbieri, who is also a screenwriter, notes that the idea for this book was originally planned as a 'B' movie and I think that's really evident - the 'B'-movie, sci-fi/horror vibes are strong. Think Alien as if made by Roger Corman. The story is ... well, it suffices. There's nothing new here and really no surprises.  That's part of the B movie vibe - you know what's coming, the thrill is in the 'when' and 'how.' That doesn't translate so well in a graphic novel. For the story, this gets only a rating of '2'. What saves this book is the artwork. Gianluca Pagliarani is the talent beh...

I admit it, I was drawn to this book by its cover and title. I've been reading some Michael Moorcock lately - his protagonists are often part of his 'Eternal Champion' arc. And this cover very clearly is inspired by Frazetta and Boris - two fantasy cover artists. So I'm expecting a rip-roaring sword & sorcery style fantasy.  To say I was disappointed would be putting it mildly. Gilad Anni-Padda is the eternal warrior. He's cursed with immortality and is the guardian of humanity, putting himself at the front line against some of the darkest, most unnatural creatures that ever slithered out of the earth. But Gilad has been quiet for a very long time but is drawn back into the daylight to take on his eternal conflict. But he doesn't trust his new allies and his enemies now have his own memories. When I requested this book, I did not know it was based on a comic (from Valiant) - a comic that I am not at all familiar with.  I also had never read anything by autho...