Jackie Estacado conquers his fear of the dark with the help of a dagger that has the brightness of a thousand tanning booths, Rick digs deep to find the courage to overcome some unseemly trust issues and an alien and a bat boy form an unlikely friendship in the shadow of a hovering giant squid monster that threatens to destroy them all – all this and oh so much more in this week’s Paranormal Pop Comics rundown:
Top Cow
Written by Phil Hester; Art by Romano Molenaar
The Darkness celebrates its 100th issue with a nail biting head to head battle between Darkness bearer, and all around badass, Jackie Estacado and a pudgy oversized manbaby – the Darkness itself. Two men, okay maybe one man and a fleshy evil thing, enter the arena of black death but only one can survive. Armed with a sun dagger bright enough to rival that of…well, the sun, Jackie has big dreams of slaying the snaggle toothed beast they call the Darkness but at what cost to himself and his family? This is definitely one anniversary issue that is best read with the nightlight on.
Infestation 2: Team-Up #1 (One-shot)
IDW
Written by Chris Ryall; Art by Alan Robinson
Archibald, the loveable grey alien with a nasty nicotine habit, is soooo bored. To pass the time, Archie takes his ravenous blob pet out of the stuffy offices over at Area 51 to grab a quick smoke when he is suddenly abducted by a giant cloud squid and hurled across these United States where he lands in a summersault at the feet of a surprised looking Bat Boy. Oh, who are we kidding? Bat Boy always looks surprised or maybe he’s just doing his best Macaulay Culkin Home Alone impression? Then things take a total turn for the weird when the supernatural odd couple team up and go for a drink at good ol’ Rod Serling’s neighborhood bar…just don’t pay any attention to the sea creature in the sky snatching up terrified innocents out the window. Funny, freaky and oh so odd; this Infestation 2 One-shot makes you think twice about the value of a trusty guard dog – er – guard blob.
The Walking Dead #94
Image Comics
Written by Robert Kirkman; Art by Charlie Adlard
Rick is as cynical as ever of newcomer Jesus who promises to lead their group of survivors to a Utopia of safety in his fortified sounds-to-go-to-be-true encampment he calls “the hilltop.” In Walking Dead #94, Carl is one nosy little kid but his childish persistence to hang with the big boys pays off when he stows away in the back of the van and on the way to the hilltop, unintentionally brokers peace between the stranger and his super serious, almost humorless, dad Rick by speaking highly of his group’s moral integrity. Zombies and an unexpected torrential downpour are just the beginning in a laundry list of surprises this little roadtrip to the promised land has in store for the gang.
DC
Written by James Robinson; Art by Javier Pulido
Not since Pippi Longstocking and that freckle faced cutie from the Wendy’s commercials has a red haired teenager made such an impact in the world. Despite the painfully long hospital scene awkwardly inserted into the beginning pages, The Shade #5 is an exciting set-up for what looks to be an epic showdown between ginger teen Vampire La Sangre and her Phantom of the Opera-esque archenemy The Inquisitor. Also nestled in this complex prelude to battle, is the dark backstory to La Sangre’s sordid past and a watery tale of how she came to be half Vampire. Part naval legend of a massacre on the open water, part illicit revenge plot between mortal enemies and sprinkled with intermittant father/daughter relationship drama - you had me at Vampires of the High Seas.
Also released this week:
Grimm Fairy Tales: Myths and Legends #13
Zenescope
Hack/Slash #13 “Monster Baiting” Part Two
Image
The Cape #4
IDW
Netherworld #4 (of 5)
Top Cow
The Immortal: Demon in the Blood #3
Dark Horse