Comic Geek Update #3

(The continuing chronicles of a re-born comic reader...)
Dark Horse Comics strikes hard with the premiere issue of METALOCALYPSE: DETHKLOK, based on the popular Adult Swim animated series. We find everyone's favorite death metal band about to unleash their own line of frozen dinners...and some serious hilarity ensues. If this series keeps the humor level this high it's sure to be a big hit.
DC's ongoing zombie series BRIGHTEST DAY continues with another dark segment in the Aquaman/Black Manta war, and the newly resurrected Deathstorm manages to obtain the White Lantern which he uses to bring back a small army of zombie villains thought to have been banished. The struggle between Deathstorm and Firestorm seems to be headed to a conclusion that should be similar to the classic Marvel title, "What if Dark Phoenix had Lived." We'll see.

VERTIGO's retro-looking series i,ZOMBIE continues to be one of the more entertaining titles on the market. In issues 4 and 5, an ancient Egyptian prince/mummy named Amon begins to teach everyone's favorite zombie girl, Gwen, what she has become (and gives her lessons on the origins of various creatures). Meanwhile, the monster hunters manage to get vampire girl Claire (although there's a strange error in issues 4 and 5: in issue 4 she's spiked with a silver knife, yet they bury her in issue 5 with a wooden stake in her heart. Go figure!). Regardless, these two issues read quick and lead nicely into issue 6, which features the origin of Gwen's friend Scott (who's also a "were-terrier."). Scott tells the story of how his grandfather raised him following the death of his parents; when he gets older and leaves home and is bit by a dying terrier, only to have the dog's spirit enter his body and cause him to change into a were-terrier once a month during the full moon. Flashes to issues 4 and 5 are cleverly spliced in-between the narrative. What becomes of Scott's grandfather leaves room for lots of fun possibilities. Michael Allred's artwork is simple but clean, reminiscent of 50s and 60s comics (issue 6 is even printed on retro-styled paper). Lovin' this series to (un)death...