Locke & Key: Crown of Shadows #1
by Crystal Alonzo

In Lovecraft, Massachusetts there is a mansion known as Keyhouse, home to the Locke family, the place where Tyson, Kinsey, and Bode’s father grew up. This is a place full of mystery, with doors that lead to places that aren’t in this world, and keys that unlock places that one wouldn’t think could be opened.

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by Alison King

You like comics.

I can’t blame you. Comics are awesome. There’s all sorts of them out there too, from the capes, to the horror, to the fantasy, to the historical, to the funny… Really, there’s a comic for everyone.

Including your girlfriend.

Yes, her eyes might glaze over during the Lord of the Rings movies. Yes, she might not have any idea what snikt or bamf mean. And maybe, just maybe, she doesn’t even care how cute David Tennet is and has no interest in watching a single episode of Doctor Who. Your sweetheart may not have a single ounce of geek cred, but still there’s at least one comic out there she’s going to like.*

So here it is, Gentlemen: Comics Your Girlfriend Would Like.

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A lot of big releases coming out this week like Wolverine: Old Man Logan Giant-Sized #1 and the wildly popular Detective Comics (issue #857), but not that much in the indies which makes this a light week for me. Still here’s a few that I’m excited about:

Beautiful Creatures #1 (of 2)

Red5

New Red5 mini series? Sold. After all, these are the guys who bring us comics like Neozoic and Atomic Robo. This newest offering starts with a man who jumps off of the Eiffel Tower… while he’s on fire. Which sure beats any “dark and stormy night” intro I’ve heard of. Beautiful Creatures is the story of four college ladies in England, except that they may be more magic than human and this means the things that go bump in the night are no doubt going to be bumping up against them pretty soon.

Madame Xanadu #15

Vertigo (Mature)

This is the last issue of the “Exodus Noir” story arch with guest artist and comics legend Michael Wm. Kaluta. It’s told two interconnected stories, the first amongst the 1930s New York elite and in a small Spanish town in the late 1400s during the Inquisition, in which Madame X turns her naturally meddlesome nature to fixing both her and other’s mistakes. Series writer Matt Wagner continues to put out stellar stories and I’m looking forward to the return on Eisner-nominated artist Amy Reeder Hadley in issue #16.

Underground #1 (of 4)

 Image

Artist Steve Lieber (Whiteout) and writer Jeff Parker (Agents of Atlas, Exiles) bring us this new spelunking action/thriller about Park Ranger Wesley Fischer caving in the mountains of Kentucky. I imagine it as a mix between the two horror movies Descent and The Hills Have Eyes, which means I’m definitely willing to try out this new mini series.

And since it’s a light week, I’m including some comics from last week too that you might have missed:

Beasts of Burden #1 (of 4)

Dark Horse

Equally charming and creepy, this miniseries is about a group of neighborhood dogs and cats who are actually more of a neighborhood occult task force, trying to bring down demons and dark magics that attack their otherwise quiet, sleepy town. Written by Evan Dorkin with art by the fabulous Jill Thompson, so come in and pick up last week’s issue.

Atomic Robo: Shadow From Beyond Time #5 (of 5)

Red5

Why aren’t you reading this series yet? Unless you are one of the many people who have already figured out how awesome it is (if so, good taste, my friend… good taste), you should come in and pick up this third installment of this kick-butt, Tesla-created, Nazi-fightin’ superhero Atomic Robo. The third trade paperback will be coming out this December, in case you’re waiting for it.

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters

Quirk

The newest from the publishers of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies! It’s time to read the classics the way Jane Austen really meant them to be read. Will Elinor Dashwood find her true love? Or will he really be one of the Deep Ones? Will the romantic Marianne discover the truth of her dashing suitor’s engagement? Or even the fact that he’s a man-eating squid, bringing the very oceans to their knees? I’m simply quivering to find out!