New Comic Book Day: 8/4/10 part 1

 Solid week: Nancy In Hell #1 , Murderland #1 , Whispers in the Wall #1 , Baltimore: The Plague Ships #1 , IZombie #4 , Secret Six #25 , Shield #3 ,

1. Nancy In Hell #1/4 (Image) by Elle Torres , art by Juan Jose Ryp

premise: Nancy is killed by a crazed killer and ends up in hell. Hell isnt what you think it is caz everybody ends up there.. I mean everybody! there is no heaven. Its a F'ed up world with soul eating beast and zombies  you fight off to maintain your sanity/humanity. Then there's this bad mother fucker who hunts all the free roaming souls like Nancy.. but Nancy is fighting back! a suprise guest at the end to leave you hanging for #2...

me: I enjoyed it from a "I also liked Tank Girl the movie" perspective , the premise is nothing original  but it works. You can re-use cliched ideas but you gotta do it right which usually means keeping it simple. Right from the first page you know who Nancy is and what she's all about , the landscape is laid out quite well , done nicely , you shouldnt get lost in the plot at all. The art is stellar , it gets the dirty deeds done. Clank a beer , bottoms up and enjoy ...

Do I play on getting #2?: I would like to.

If I had $10 does this make the pull?: tough week , I dont think it does.

price/value: 2.99 ... this felt like a standard $3 book. I dont have too many complaints.

2. Murderland #1 (Image) by Stephen Scott , art by David Hahn

premise: A "loving" couple taking up a career as hired assassins or vigilante ass kickers , I havent figured that out yet. Arabber and Meth the two main characters are the hitmen team and we follow them on some jobs. In doing so they also reveal more surprises of their own in terms of "talents" and "abilities". We see their relationship on and off the job and everything in between...

me: I had a good time with this. The art was smooth and the story was nicely laid out , there wasnt a big cliff hanger but I dont think thats what they were looking for in #1. This is a brand new series , so slow intro was called for. Im open for this series to win me over .. still looking for a "WOW" moment or someone to latch onto. My mind wasnt melted from any stand out awesomeness

am I getting #2?: Yes. Im giving this the trial.

Does this make the $10 pull?: hmmm I dont think so , not this week. Tough week.

price/value: 2.99 .. It was decent value , its your standard $3 book I'd say.

3. Whispers In The Walls #1/6 (Humanoids) by David Munoz , art by

premise: Little girl gets placed in asylum/orphanage/centre for god knows what , its part of the mystery. This building is an old building with lots of horrid history. They say the walls whisper to you , the little girl one night hear's the voice and follows its lead to uncover the mystery of this place. During her stay she befriends a mysterious boy despite being told she's the only child in the facility , her new friend takes her to meet other "phans".. this story unravels before your eyes then the next thing you know your eyes are pooping with joy.

me: *My Pick of the Week* This title caught my eye all week , I was ecstatic to pick up the last or only issue on the stand. I really liked this , I like it more than butter melted in bacon fat  , the art was fantastic , the mood was eerie and spooky perfect for the story. Scooby Doo should be investigating this place. The bad guy in this genuinely creeped me out , this guy should be chasing Shags and Scoobs through the halls. The story writing was hook and sinker too , the story of this little girl is so perplexing and cryptic that you cant help but follow her on her journey to unveil the truth. Thank god this is a long 6 part series. I cant wait for #2... want want want

Will I get #2? YES.

Does this make the $10 pull?: yup.

price/value: 3.50 ... this was a very good book from an Indy publisher. Not only did i feel it earned its keep but I didnt mind paying the extra cents to support these titles.

 4.Baltimore:The Plague Ships #1/5(Dark Horse)by Mignola / Golden , art: Ben Stenbeck

premise: A spinoff from the Baltimore novel series. WWI is over but the vampire plague rages on , Lord Baltimore is obsessed with finding the source and ending the madness. In doing so he must travel on the plagued ships to find his mystery man he seeks... and oh yeah kill vampires , a shit load of them.

me: I liked it caz I like this genre, didnt knock me out of the park though. I enjoyed it but am I hanging on the edge of my seat? do I like Lord Baltimore? not really. Lord Baltimore wasnt designed particularily well , maybe he can win me over in the up coming issues but I found him ...boring and I didnt care for him. This story is missing some heart and soul in its characters , its lead character to be exact.

will I buy #2?: if its a weak week , Im not enthusiastic about it though. Again , Im open for redemption , still lots of comic to go.

Does this make the $10 pull?: No. It was a tough week for competition.

price/value: 3.50.. its ok value. You expect a little more bang for the buck for debut issues frmo established pubs.