30 DAYS OF NIGHT #1

I'm guessing you saw the movie. Yeah, me too. So writer Steve Niles has been doing various sequels to his break out hit for awhile now. This is the latest. The big problem? This new "sequel" or continuation doesn't even have a new fucking name. Why is that a problem? The original comic book was about vampires in Alaska during the winter when the sun never comes out for an entire month. So there's, like, no escape from the vamps. This series takes place in sunny Los Angeles so the title makes no sense. Either way, the book is mildly entertaining but mostly a throwaway. I read it because I love Sam Keith's artwork and haven't seen him lately (he drew a Batman tale a year or two ago but what else has he been doing since The Maxx?). The artwork is so unique; it's like the rough sketches of a goth kid in high school art class meets the nightmares of David Lynch. The story by Niles is pretty thin; a chick looking into vampires just happens to run into them. There's a last page reveal but it doesn't push the book into more interesting territory. Are you sick of vampires yet? ** (out of ****)

THE STRANGE TALENT OF LUTHOR STRODE #1

This book was on the cover of some comic book magazine a few months back; Previews maybe. But I remembered when I saw it I thought to myself: this book must be really special to get the cover. Was someone famous writing or drawing it? What's the deal? Usually the cover to Previews or the old Wizard magazine featured a mainstream superhero. After reading the first issue I totally understand. This book is exhilarating, odd, funny, and totally sadistic. It's wild stuff. The premise is simple and, honestly, stupid, but it works. Remember those old ads in comic books for crazy things like x-ray specs and guidebooks that'll give you super strength in, like, five days? Well what if they were real? A big-time nerd in high school finds out the truth when he orders a "Hercules" book that guarantees muscles and power in no time. He gets more power than he asked for of course. And there's a super-villain that has the same powers but seems to be using them for evil. It sounds like such a dumb premise but writer Justin Jordan has written a terrific story around it. The book is extremely bloody but it's also very funny and very entertaining. The art by Tradd Moore hews towards the cartoon side of things. This works well with the zany premise. All in all it's a great rush of a read. Not perfect of course; nothing usually is. There's the typical dork sidekick/friend, the evil bully, the mother minus father. I had such a fun time reading it that the cliches didn't bother me too much. Looking forward to #2. ***1/2 (out of ****)