Yet Another COMIC GEEK UPDATE...

The 2nd issue of BELA  LUGOSI'S TALES FROM THE GRAVE is 100% fun despite a couple of familiar stories.  The amazing cover comes courtesy of special effects whiz Rick Baker (there's also an interview with him), and there's four well done stories in FULL COLOR (unlike Dark Horse's recent CREEPY reboot).  There's a nifty Cthulhu-themed tale titled ORDER IN/TAKE OUT CHAOS featuring great artwork by Mike Dubisch and a funny end-story told in "claymation."  The owner of my local comic shop recommended this to me and now I have to find the first issue!  Steve Niles has a tale in the 3rd, due out this summer.

I ragged the 1st and 2nd issues of THE LAST ZOMBIE: NEVERLAND for its short page count and bad artwork.  While the artwork is still bad, this time (Issue 3) the story has picked up a bit and the page count is longer (and somehow there's STILL a 9-page preview of another comic!). I'm now interested enough to see where this is going but am not holding my breath.

Dark Horse's KING CONAN "The Phoenix and the Sword" 4-issue mini-series concludes with TOTAL carnage as Conan battles his captors and would-be kings before facing a huge werewolf-like beast.  Artist Tomas Giorello is simply one of the best in the business, and Timothy Truman's adaptation of the classic Howard story is top notch.  Easily my favorite comics team working today, I hope it doesn't take long for them to team up with our favorite Cimmerian again.

MEANWHILE, Dark Horse's CONAN THE BARBARIAN No. 4 kicks off a new story arc with THE ARGOS DECEPTION, in which Conan agrees to be part of a scam headed by his new girlfriend, Belit, the captain of an infamous pirate ship.  It's a good set-up issue, featuring artwork by James Harren that's much better than the goofy-looking renderings of Becky Cloonan that all but ruined the first 3 issues.  Good stuff.