Madame Xanadu

Today's review comes courtesy of Alexander Lyons.  Alex is a UK-based feminist theorist with a speciality in identity politics and poststructuralism in comics. He's got a weak-spot for Greg Rucka, Wonder Woman, and the obscure ramblings of Helene Cixous. You can find his own ramblings on Twitter. He has very curly hair.

Writer: Matt Wagner

Pencils: Amy Reeder Hadley, Michael Wm Kaluta, Joelle Jones, Marley Zarcone, Lauren McCubbin, Chrissie Zullo, Celia Calle and Marian Churchland

Inkers: Amy Reeder Hadley, Richard Friend, David Hahn

Colorists: Guy Major, Dave Stewart, Lee Loughridge

Letterer: Jared K Fletcher

Publisher: Vertigo (DC)

What’s it about?

“There is a pattern in everything. Even the humblest speck of dust was once a mighty mountain. Seeing unlocks the patterns. And the tools of seeing are many…”

Madame Xanadu tells the story of Nimue; ancient and immortal daughter of the homo magi - a magical race of fairy living alongside mankind. She is the youngest of three sisters, and rival to her middle sister, Morgana, with whom she develops a conflict that spans centuries. Nimue is blessed with, among other things, the magical gift of divination, and uses her skills to predict and intervene in the fate of mankind. As the series proceeds, Nimue learns to use her powers to aid people in need, becoming a sort of supernatural heroine for people with extraordinary problems.

Batwoman: Elegy

Writer: Greg Rucka
Artist: J.H.Williams III
Colours: Dave Stewart
Letters: Todd Klein
Publisher: DC Comics

What's it about?
Batwoman is the latest person to take on Batman's mantle.  Real name Kate Kane, this is her first set of solo stories and is really a two parter - the first story introduces us to Alice, a psychotic woman who speaks only in prose taken from Alice in Wonderland, and the second story is Kate's origin - what events made her the way she is now, how and why she chose to put on the bat mantle.

Kate is a new and rare character, introduced a few years ago she is an out and proud lesbian from a military background.  She has suffered some tragedy but this is not what drives her.  In the costume she's confident and dangerous, out of the costume she's dedicated to the cause and is trying to balance her night pursuits with her personal relationships.

THE AMAZING SCREW-ON HEAD And Other Curious Objects

Writers: Mike Mignola, Katie Mignola

Art: Mike Mignola

Colors: Dave Stewart

Letters: Clem Robins and Pat Brosseau

Publisher: Dark Horse Comics

Today's review is a guest post brought to you by Mothee.  Mothee is a comics fan, about to graduate from film school and would like to be a writer.  You can find Mothee at the following places:

Twitter: @Mothee

Blogspot: http://mothee.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mothee

On with the review!

What’s it about?

A clever collection of short stories and art by comics auteur Mike Mignola. For those who may be unfamiliar with his work, Mignola is best known as the creator of Hellboy (you may have seen or heard about the film that was released in 2004). He’s a writer/artist with a flair for the fantastic with a twinge of horror and oddities thrown in for good measure.

Included in this collection:

Green Lantern: No Fear

Green Lantern: No Fear, 2005

Writer: Geoff Johns

Pencillers: Simone Bianchi, Darwyn Cooke, Carlos Pacheco, Ethan Van Sciver

Inkers: Simone Bianchi, Darwyn Cooke, Jesus Merino, Prentis Rollins, Ethan Van Sciver

Colorists: W. Moose Baumann, Nathan Eyring, Dave Stewart

Letterers: Jared K. Fletcher, Rob Leigh

Cover Art: Alex Ross

Publisher: DC

What's It About? 
Green Lantern: No Fear marked the start of a new ongoing Green Lantern series, and it collects issues 1-6 of the new title, plus a special issue, Green Lantern: Secret Files and Origins.

Prior to this new Green Lantern series, Hal Jordan, Earth's most prominent Green Lantern, had become a villian, died, and was brought back to life as The Spectre.  But you don't need to worry about any of that to enjoy this book.

DC: The New Frontier, Volumes One and Two

DC: The New Frontier Volumes 1 and 2

Darwyn Cooke, Writer and Illustrator

Dave Stewart, Colorist

Jared K. Fletchter, Letterist

What's It About?
In a nutshell, DC: The New Frontier is a re-imagining of how the Justice League of America came to be.  Or, it is the 1950's re-imagined with modern-day sensibilities and social mores.  The reader follows the stories of dozens of DC heroes from the Silver Age of comic books during the mid-1950's, when superhero comics were losing popularity as they cope with both a changing world and a world-changing threat.

The book is a period piece, is heavy on the nostalgia and is set in the 1950's, just before the Silver Age when Golden Age (original) heroes were revamped and updated into the superheroes we know today.  In DC: The New Frontier, you'll see some characters before they became superheroes (such as the Martian Manhunter and Green Lantern) or when they were just starting out (such as The Flash.)  In all, this is Darwyn Cooke's starry-eyed homage to the heyday of the Justice League.

Conan: The Frost-Giant's Daughter and other stories

Writer: Kurt Busiek
Artists: Cary Nord and Thomas Yeates
Colours: Dave Stewart
Letterers: Richard Starkings and Comicraft
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics

What's it about?
Conan of Cimmeria is a barbarian, in the traditional sense of the term.  Fur covered, sword in hand, he sets out from his southern homeland to journey to the fabled lands of Hyperborea, to discover it's riches, wonders and women for himself.  On the way he gets caught up in a feud between the Aesir and the Vanir and his travels take an unexpected turn.

These stories are based on Robert E Howards original writings and follow the plots fairly closely.  It's your classic swords and sorcery adventure, filled with warriors, magic and mythological beings.

Tales of the Slayers

Writer: Various but includes Joss Whedon, Amber Benson, David Fury and Jane Espenson
Pencils: Various but includes Tim Sale and Karl Moline
Colours: Various but includes Dave Stewart
Inks: Various but includes Andy Owens
Letters: Various but includes Michelle Madsen
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics

What's it about?
Based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer television series. This book features eight short stories of other Slayers who have lived throughout the ages, all written by people involved in the Buffy TV show.

We meet the first Slayer and learn how other humans view her, there's a Slayer from the middle ages with narration told in rhyme, a slayer living in Nazi Germany, Nikki - the Slayer Spike stole his infamous black leather coat from, and four others.  Each story centres on a pivotal moment in the Slayer's life and gives us a glimpse into the history of a well loved and well respected lineage.

Superman: Last Son

Writers: Geoff Johns and Richard Donner
Artist: Adam Kubert
Colorists: Dave Stewart and Edgar Delgado
Letterer: Rob Leigh
Publisher: DC Comics

What's it about?
This is what's known as a trade - a collection of 5 issues from the Action Comics title.  It's a fully self contained story arc, so you don't need to have read previous issues for it make sense.  This arc introduces a new Kryptonian to Earth. a little boy who crashlands into Metropolis one day.

Who is he?  How did he get here?  How did he survive Krypton's explosion?  And who are these strange people that showed up shortly after he did?

The book features lots of familiar faces: a now married Lois and Clark Kent, Perry White, Jimmy Olsen, Zod, Ursa and Non.

Wonder Woman: The Hiketeia

Writer: Greg Rucka
Pencils: J G Jones
Colours: Dave Stewart
Inks: Wade von Grawbadger
Letters: Todd Klein
Publisher: DC Comics

What’s it about?
Diana, Princess of Themyscira, aka Wonder Woman, is Ambassador for her people.  This story mostly takes place in and around her embassy in New York.  A young woman, wanted for a string of murders in Gotham, runs to Wonder Woman and gives supplication to Diana in order to form Hiketeia with her.