Marvel Zombies 3 written by Fred Van Lente, art by Kev Walker, colors by Jean-Francois Beaulieu, letters by Rus Wooten.

The original concept for Marvel Zombies was simple enough: an alternate version of the Marvel universe that underwent a zombie apocalypse, where the world is infected by a Hunger Virus that creates flesh hungry undead. Tell the story of those still capable of reason and what not. Questions as to how invulnerability and healing powers affect the virus were pretty much hand-waved away. Marvel put out three series all written by Walking Dead and Invincible creator Robert Kirkman. There was also a Marvel Zombies/Army of Darkness mini-series. I hated all of them. I mean one of them ends with super-zombies eating Galactus and becoming Cosmic Super-Zombies. Ugh…

But then Marvel handed the concept over to Fred Van Lente, who has written some of the better comics out there, both for Marvel and on his own. He went with an attempted invasion of regular Marvel Earth by Zombie Marvel Earth, and brought in Aaron “Machine Man” Stack as the major protaganist, recruited by A.R.M.O.R. (Alternate Reality Monitoring and Operational Response), and then just made it all work. It still has its moments of “Oh Come On!” for me. Why is Ghost Rider a zombie? Seriously, how do you infect a flaming skeleton with a virus? But despite that, Van Lente keeps up the pace so that the story just moves past it. And Kev Walker can draw some hella icky looking super-zombies…

Noble Causes Archives: Vol. 1 written by Jay Faerber, art by many and various

Jay Faerber’s Noble Causes follows the celebrity super-human family the Nobles, starting from the introduction of super-speedster Race Noble’s new girlfriend, “regular” girl Liz Donnelly. Liz serves as the entry point character for the world of both the super-human and high profile celebrity. Through her the often dysfunctional relationships of the Nobles and their family is explored.

This first of two volumes collects the first twenty-six issues of Noble Causes and their assorted back-up features. Almost six-hundred pages of super-human soap opera, family squabbles, murder, cross-dimensional travel, sex scandals, more murder, more family fighting, and even some old-fashioned cape-style face punchery…

Artesia by Mark Smylie

Epic fantasy with war and blood and ghosts and monsters and sex and murder and betrayal and religion and visions and violence and ladies with pole arms. What more do you want? Ok, it’s also got wonderful, crisp, clean art teamed with its high-stakes, large-scale story. Its always good to find a fantasy series that doesn’t feel like a rehash of someone’s D&D campaign. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love a decent D&D inspired fantasy as much as the next RPG nerd, but its still nice to have something with a creator not afraid to aim big…

iZombie: Dead to the World written by Chris Roberson, art by Michael Allred, colors by Laura Allred, letters by Todd Klein

Gwen’s a brain-eating zombie. But not so much in the shambling around and attacking farm houses and malls kind of way. More in the working as a hipster gravedigger and hanging out with ghost girls and wereterriers and flirting with the new vampire hunter in town. Of course there is a new monster in town and he wants Gwen’s help. But he’s kind of a murderous vigilante mummy so she’s not sure if she can trust him…

Chris Roberson creates Yet Another Urban Fantasy world, but he does it with style and wit and humor. And of course being backed by the art of Mike “Madman” Allred…

Terra written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, drawn by Amanda Conner, colors by Rod Reis and Paul Mounts, letters by Rob Leigh, Travis Lanham, Sal Cipriano and Swands

Terra collects Supergirl #12 and the Terra mini-series. And basically serves as a zero volume prequel for the Palmiotti/Gray/Conner run on Power-Girl. And I’ll admit that I bought both volumes of that and this one all in the desire to see more drawings of cats by Amanda Conner. Conner draws the best cats…

But in addition to potential adorable kitty cats Terra gives an enjoyable rookie hero story. One that even manages to make Geo-force halfway interesting. Always a challenge that. Plus a reminder of the potential in Capt. Boomerang’s kid before DC decided he’d work better as a crazy-pants mass murderer. *eyeroll*

Anyway, Palmiotti and Gray write good cape comics and Amanda Conner deserves to be get far more work than she can handle. Provided it involves drawing cats…

Story and art by Bob Layton, colors by Christie Scheele and Bob Sharen and letters by Rick Parker

See yon noble godling Hercules. Verily, doth he climb up unto the heights of Olympus, home of his brethren. And lo, there he be mightly shushed for his father Zeus has proclaimed that it be a day of quiet reflection for it is truly the anniversary of the day upon which the mightiest of the Olympians was born. And lo all droopy pants is the mighty Hercules for truly he had hoped to return home and have a truly righteous party. But weep not for mopey Hercules for are these not some of the handmaidens of Olympus come to offer him refreshment?

But alas! For it is not in the nature of the Lion of Olympus to quietly partake of either refreshment or haindmaiden. But the groovin’ and the shakin’ of the Prince of Power has disturbed the solemn contemplations of all-mighty Zeus and truly he is most wroth! And so the scion of Zeus is banished! Let him go forth unto Bel Airedeepest space until he has learned humility…

And so Hercules sets forth upon the borrowed sun chariot of his brother into the vastness of space. There to encounter recording robots, aliens, sexy space ladies and even Galactus the World Devourer…

Inanana’s Tears written by Rob Vollmar, drawn by M.P. Mann

Set some 5000 years in the past in the Fertile Crescent of the Tigris and Euphrates during the pre-history of humanity. Somewhat literally pre-history as part of the story concerns the birth of the concept of a written language. As well as the conflict between the old way of living as nomadic tribes and the new ways in cities built around the early mastery of agriculture. A story of religious conflict and gender roles and simple greed for power…

Inanna’s Tears is less historical fiction than it is a possible fiction of what might have become history. All set at the beginning of what we might consider to be civilization…

Duncan the Wonder Dog: show one by Adam Hines

How would the world be different if every animal of every type, everywhere, could talk back. Were rational, sentient beings. Could discuss philosophy and politics and what your sister’s daughter has been up to. Would things be different? Or just different enough to be noticeable but not to the level where you can’t get a cheap hamburger…

Adam Hines book takes a long look at what makes a person a person. As well as telling a story of federal agents and terrorists and interspecies dating and raising kids and strange half-dog/half-boy godlings and cats and dogs and birds and politicians and stuff…

Tricked by Alex Robinson

In many ways Tricked is similar to Robinson’s earlier Box Office Poison in that both have a large cast of odd Life in the City type characters. But where BOP is less a single story then a collection of loosely connected pieces, the six characters in Tricked all have their tales move inevitably together for the big climatic moment. Ray the rock star, Nick with the secret life, Phoebe the young girl in search of her past, Steve the weirdo, Caprice the waitress looking for love and Lily the luckiest office temp ever…

One Piece: East Blue story and art by Eiichiro Oda, English adaptation by Lance Caselman, translation by Andy Nakatani

Man, this series. Each volume is packed full of madcap super-pirate adventures. Captain Monkey D. Luffy the Rubber Lad who’s determined to become King of the Pirates. Roronoa Zolo who’s willing to face any challenge to be the World’s Greatest Swordsman.  Nami who would steal the world blind. Always facing deadlier and crazier and ever more dangerous foes. But damn. SOOOOOOOoooo many volumes. Like over fifty. Where’s a giant-size omnibus when you need one?