What I Read This Week

Creepy #1 -- Dark Horse revives one of the most well-known horror comic magazines in appropriately grim black and white with this 48 page, no-ads monstrosity.  Uncle Creepy and Sister Creepy are back to introduce you to six horror features, including a classic from the "good bad days," plus a sick cover by Eric Powell make this a well-spent 5 bucks.  I am a horror hound so this is right up my alley, but I can't see non-horror fans being as impressed by this.  But that's their loss and my (and my ilk's) gain -- this is a tremendous effort and one of my favorite new comics of the last few years.  Keep (Creep?) up the good work, Dark Horse.

Blackest Night #1 -- The Dead Have Risen!  All, as is to be expected, all Hell is breaking loose all over the Universe because of it.  DC's Summer Epic bows in spectacular fashion here, as Johns and Reis turn in a first chapter ever bit as gasp-inducing and jaw-dropping as the initial chapters of Final Crisis and Infinite Crisis.  And yes I mean that as a compliment.  It's gore galore, for sure, but it's wrapped up in a tightly written story which intrigues even as it begins to play its hand and reveal what has been brewing for several years in the DCU.  Dark days are ahead, for sure -- but not for DC readers.

Titans #15 -- Garth has never had it easy, from being cast out of Atlantis for his purple eyes to his days as Aqualad to the Infinite Crisis and it's aftermarh.  But will the coming of the Blackest Night allow him the time to mourn for his family and heal, or is he destined to suffer more?  Agreeable Tempest story which conveniently glosses over how exactly he re-acquired his powers (I guess Leah's quest for him worked out) and just moves forward.  I like the development which comes from this issue and hope that someone picks this thread up at some point and runs with it.

Wednesday Comics #2 -- Continuing where we left off last week, DC's experimental summer series continues to impress.  In fact, I would say it is even better than the first installment, thanks to marked improvement in two of the weaker strips (namely Teen Titans and Hawkman) and interesting developments in some other strips (Sgt. Rock, Batman, Strange Adventures and so forth).  The format still works and the stories are varied enough to really put over the concept as a winner.  Please make this a summer tradition, DC!

The Phantom: Generations #3 -- The third Phantom must live up to his creed to rid the world of piracy when his young bride is kidnapped by Portuguese pirates and taken the eerie Caves of the Naga!  Moonstone continues their series of "Illustrated Men's Fiction" short stories featuring the various men who have been called The-Ghost-Who-Walks.  This issue features oddly psuedo-photorealistic artwork by Michael Stribling which doesn't always work but is certainly unique.  Fun swashbuckler.

The Pick Of The Pile is a tough call this week, but I am going to give the nod to Blackest Night #1 with Wednesday Comics and Creepy nipping closely at it's heels.

So what did you read this week?