by Chris Roberson , Mike Allred (Illustrator)·  

Told from a female zombie’s perspective, this smart, witty detective series mixes urban fantasy and romantic dramedy.Gwendolyn “Gwen” Dylan is a 20-something gravedigger in an eco-friendly cemetery. Once a month she must eat a human brain to keep from losing her memories, but in the process she becomes consumed with the thoughts and personality of the dead person – until she eats her next brain. She sets out to fulfi ll the dead person’s last request, solve a crime or right a wrong.

Our zombie girl detective is joined by a radical supporting cast: her best friend Eleanor, who happens to be a swinging ’60s ghost, a posse of paintball blasting vampires, a smitten were-dog and a hot but demented mummy.

Paperback, 144 pages

Published March 22nd 2011 by Vertigo

Gwen works for a graveyard digging graves. This is a good job for a Zombie because she must eat a brain at least once a month so she doesn’t become a brain dead monster. From these, she obtains the deceased’s memories.

When out trick or treating, Gwen, Ellie (Ghost) and Spot (Were-Terrier) come across a house with a creepy man who makes them feel uncomfortable. There turns out to be a connection between him and the last deceased brain she’s eaten.

Across town, we learn of a Blood Sports paintball business that conducts itself at night. It also happens to be run by a group of Female Vampires trying to get easy meals without getting caught. But soon an organization comes into town trying to locate the vampires and Gwen catches the eye of one of the detectives, Horatio, who finds her attractive and alluring.

My favorite parts of this comic were the mix of different paranormal creatures, the humor in the dialogue, and inclusion of a Were-terrier who is so cute you just want to pet him. The Blood Sports paintball was a fun and new idea, giving the vampires a way to feed on the boys and men that came out to play (without having to kill them), leaving the men merely dazed and confused not dead.

This series has so many different options for story lines and so far I am hooked. I zipped right through it and it’s something I would read over again. Recommended.

Reviewed by Krista McKeeth

(BACK OF THE BACK OF BEYOND Come and join the Party!

Through her short stories “No Pets Allowed”, “Get Me to The Worldcon on Time” , “My Sweet 286” and “Party”, Edwina Harvey introduced her readers to a world where flatmates discover the difficulties of raising young dragons in small suburban apartments, where “flying” to a science fiction convention takes on a whole new meaning, and where “the next door neighbours” on an Australian rural backblock are out of this world, but the parties are legendary.
Now collected here for the first time, these stories are interwoven with seven new tales set in the same universe.

Come and be introduced to a rural Australian landscape you never knew existed somewhere out in the back of the back of beyond.

If you had to describe this book in one word, it would be “quirky.”  The stories are short and at times made me do a double take and say to myself “what just happened?”  They are ordered in a way that makes the collection seem to be continuous narrative with character development and progression along the way.

From the very first story of trying to understand how two flatmates were capable of raising a dragon in such a small space, to the idea of traveling by air and going through a drive-in fast food restaurant to order food without landing, this collection is unique.

Each separate chapter, or story has an element of the weird, some reality and a bit of the supernatural. From a snake that tries to mate with (or eat?) a power cord, to a dragon farm, unicorns and aliens, this book really does have a variety of characters.

I am sure that many of us love the idea of moving to secluded farmland and unplugging from the outside world for awhile; cherishing the moments we do get to share with family and friends, meeting new ones and in this unusual case, getting to know an alien creature and their love for Coca Cola. Edwina Harvey provides it all.

Although I am still trying to gather all my thoughts on these stories, it is definitely a book that I will remember for years to come. Taking place in the “outback” of Australia, it is a humorous and quirky read. If you’re looking for something a little outside of the box, you should pick this one up!

 Peggy Bright Books (December 8, 2013)

Reviewed by Krista McKeeth

by Jose Malaga, Dynamite Entertainment, Diamond Book Distributors

WELCOME TO THE END OF DAYS! 

A mysterious hijacking — by an undetectable force which leaves only death in its wake — lures Vampirella to Russia, and deeper into a deadly conspiracy where nothing is what it seems. At the request of Vampirella’s allies — the Vatican’s paranormal covert strike force, Cestus Dei — the blood-drinking scourge of the supernatural travels to Russia, on the hunt for a terrifying killer with a gift for murder.

But there’s more at play than a simple search-and-destroy mission. Complicating matters is the return of the King of the Vampires, Dracula — more powerful than ever before, and determined to consecrate an unholy pact with ancient, unknowable forces that even the lords of Chaos and Order wisely fear.

War is on the horizon, and only one who has worn the Crown of Worms can sit upon a Throne of Skulls. Old foes are reborn, alliances are broken, and nothing in Vampirella’s world will ever be the same!

Collecting issues #12-20 of the popular ongoing Vampirella series, with a complete cover gallery.

A scantily clad vampire detective is looking into the mystery of a plane full of humans cut into pieces and hidden in the cabin. It’s total chaos. Vampirella heads to Russia to find the answers to what kind of creature would perpetrate such a massacre, and why …  

Traveling in underground caves as well as through the ruins of an old village, Vampirella must battle the evil Von Kriest, demons, as well as save a friend Sofia who has been possessed. There are many different layers to this story and intense and colorful graphics. Several different characters and demons come into play for a non-stop action packed story.

This is one of the most detailed graphic novels that I have read. So many things happen with well-rounded layering of stories that it would be a hard to convince anybody that this is not worth it’s value. It’s intense, bloody, fast paced and suspenseful.

As Vampirella is busy doing detective work, the people who have accompanied her on the trip get into situations of their own, adding to the drama.

Vampirella must endure an internal battle as well as the physical challenges she faces throughout the story, and with the return of Dracula, her vampire side is calling.

Marianne’s comment: I haven’t read this one, but I just wish they didn’t have to portray female characters half naked. Why can’t you be a sexy heroine with clothes on?