ATOMIC
EMPIRE

Without too much ado, I present to you some fine monthly comic selections:

Mythic (Image Comics): This is an unusual comic in a number of ways: magic is actually the cause of the universe's unexplained phenomena, science is the opiate for the masses, and the group responsible for cleaning up the magical and demonic fallout are ...eccentric... to say the least. This is definitely a "teen or higher" book, mostly due to comedic swearing, drinking, and some violent nosebleeds and, erm, the set-up for the second issue. Their unconventional plan involves more than innuendo with an earth elemental. I'm also intrigued by the demonic cabal that lives at the center of the earth.

I'd recommend this comic if you are a fan of BPRD and other Mike Mignola works, FBP (aka Federal Bureau of Physics), Justice League Dark and Constantine.

Lantern City (Archaia): I am generally a fan of any literature with urban squalor, severe socio-economic stratification, and struggles against the elitist Establishment. This is why stories like Rebels and Lantern City are really enjoyable for me: the details in the environment enhance the slice-of-life aspects to the story and the struggle of our heroes. For Lantern City, the differences in social stature are compounded by the fact that the upper class have dirigibles and fantastical floating cities, literally putting them on a different plane from the lower classes.

So yes, this is a steampunk world, but an interestingly told one. While it is a "down with tyranny" story of civil turmoil and revolution, there are still instances of compassion and humanity: "You know, when I was a kid, I didn't think (the law-enforcement officers) even had faces."

This is a solid first issue, and I look forward to seeing how this story unfolds, as the stakes couldn't be higher for our main character by the ending panel.

I'd recommend this for people who enjoy Feathers,Girl Genius, Lady Mechanika, and anything with a Dickensian or Les Miserables atmosphere to it.

Please join us again next month, dear readers,

Dee