Sexy Vampire Skinner Sweet and his “Jason Bournette” protégé Pearl knock a few more names off the bad Vampire Blacklist as Keyhouse has a bloody tea party for hoodlums and Silhouette almost gets herself killed trying to save a kid, all this plus an all-new Superman identity crisis in this week’s Paranormal Pop Comic Rundown.
American Vampire #30
Vertigo, Written by Scott Snyder; Art and Cover Art by Rafael Albuquerque
There is nothing quite so haunting as a an old vinyl record playing the romantic serenade of a dying man’s love to his forever young vampire wife. Full of heartache, Pearl must abandon her wrinkly and near-death soulmate in order to finish assassinating Vampires off the blacklist with her dubious partner in crime Skinner Sweet. Nobody said love was easy but denying the charms of Skinner the blonde super-vamp after a particularly bloody kill is even harder. I just hope Henry has good insurance to keep him alive long enough until Pearl comes back from playing Bonnie and Clyde with the most deadly, and sexy, Vampire in American History.
Locke & Key Grindhouse (One-Shot)
IDW, Written by Joe Hill; Art and Cover Art by Gabriel Rodriguez
Not even money grubbin’ skirt chasin’ gun wieldin’ no good gangsters stand a chance against the deadly wonders of Keyhouse. In this gory one-shot, Joe Hill pits old school goons out for the heist of their career against the isolated mansion on the tip of Lovecraft island, and one can only guess who ends up the victor in this old fashioned dog fight. Confident that the rich looking house will yield treasures beyond their wildest imaginations, the three stooges-esque gangsters brazenly force their way inside unaware of the gruesome fate that awaits those that cross the owners of Keyhouse. Although “Grindhouse” introduces more keys and doors than Alice could fall through in a lifetime of curious exploration, this one-shot also features a convenient blueprint and guide to the entire mansion in its final pages.
DC, Written by Darwyn Cooke; Art and Cover Art by Darwyn Cooke
In this issue of Before Watchmen: Minutemen #3, we find our ragtag gang of costumed heroes feeling…well, not so heroic. Due to, shall we say a mar on the moral fiber of interpersonal relations amongst the Minutemen, the group of “young patriots” are rotting from the inside-out. As scandal threatens to tear them apart, the continuing efforts of Silhouette to save children in trouble reminds beat cop, a.k.a. Nite Owl, Hollis Mason of why they do what they do. Despite his little crush on the patron saint of children, Hollis comes to the rescue of the raven haired beauty when she falls into grave danger trying to save a little girl. And like sands through the sepia colored hour glass, so do the days and dramas of the Minutemen pass before us.
Superman Annual #1
DC, Written by Scott Lobdell, Fabian Nicieza; Art by Pascal Alixe, Marco Rudy, Tom Raney, Elizabeth Torque, Mico Suayan
In this “super” issue of Superman Annual #1, there is a virtual cornucopia of alien activity happening and besides alerting Carl Sagan to proof of the existence of extraterrestrials amongst us, I had no idea what was going on. Helspont, with his big ship, skull half-face and blue-flame hair has come to Earth’s orbit for a little visit to wreak havoc and give Supe an evil monologuing he is not soon to forget. This annual is a long, drawn-out epileptic intergalactic United Nations of simultaneous fisticuffs and unconventional supernatural recruiting. By the end, I was left feeling as helpless as Superman floating far above the Earth wondering “I don’t know what to do next…”
Paranormal themed comics released this week:
Angel & Faith #13, Dark Horse
B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth: Return of the Master #1 (of 5), Dark Horse
Deadworld War of the Dead #4 (of 5), IDW
Dominique Laveau: Voodoo Child #6, Vertigo
Ferals #8, Avatar
Ghostbusters #12, IDW
Grim Leaper #4 (of 4), Image
The New Deadwardians #6 (of 8), Vertigo
Witchblade #159, Top Cow
Paranormal Pop Comics News:
ABC Greenlights Marvel’s S.H.I.E.L.D. Pilot
According to Deadline.com, “ABC has ordered a pilot for S.H.I.E.L.D, a live-action series from The Avengers writer-director Joss Whedon, Marvel TV and ABC Studios.”
S.H.I.E.L.D. or Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, is an organization tasked with information gathering and peacekeeping within the Marvel Universe. Fans of Iron Man may remember the introduction of S.H.I.E.L.D. to movie going audiences in 2008 and again with Iron Man 2 in 2010. In Marvel’s most recent box office hit The Avengers, which was directed by Whedon, Samuel L. Jackson starred as S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury alongside Agent Coulson played by Clark Gregg. Although it is unlikely Jackson will be taking his role as Fury to the small screen, specific details for the pilot regarding casting have yet to be released. “The S.H.I.E.L.D. show kind of dropped in my lap, and I love working in TV,” Whedon told EW on Thursday. “I get to really build a show with people I really trust and love. What we’re building is entirely autonomous from The Avengers. It’s gotta be a show that works for people who haven’t seen the Marvel movies. It will please Marvel fans, I think.”
The Conclusion of Avengers VS. X-Men #12
The battle is over between two of the most beloved Superhero teams in all of Comics history and only one squad will emerge victorious. On sale October 3rd, Avengers VS. X-Men #12 will finally answer all burning questions in this epic conclusion of the AvX saga.