Batman and Robin No. 21
While Bruce Wayne tromps around the world recruiting a legion of heroes, Dick Grayson and his young assassin apprentice, Damian, watch over the streets of Gotham as some seriously sick happenings are slowly eliminating citizens of the Dark Knight's territory.
"Issue No. 21" follows the caped duo as a mysterious figure, only identified as "the White Knight," takes it upon himself to drug and murder Gotham citizens. This vile contradiction of a villain creates angels of death by making victims leap from city rooftops, plummeting to their demises.
Peter Tomasi is a mastermind of plot design, and by making the White Knight, one of the most twisted villains that Grayson's Batman has yet to see, Tomasi creates serious momentum for his writing.
The only clue left for the reader is the connection between the victims of the White Knight's brutal murders, which is that all are related to Arkham Asylum inmates. By targeting the city's most hated band of henchmen's families, an emotional chord is struck with the reader, as the series becomes a race against time for Grayson to reach the potential targets before his translucent counterpart.
The Incredible Hulks No. 624
The jolly green giant and his band of cohorts are going to need some insecticides, as Hulk will have to fight for his newly acquired kingdom.
In this issue, political haggling has put Hulk in some hot water, as he becomes a human sacrifice to appease the bug-lord Miek. Thankfully for Banner, his son Skaar will give everything to protect the mass of pure rage that is his old man.
Artists Dean White and Frank Martin bring the ideal palette of dark green to wash over each and every panel in the comic. This distinctive color choice is contrasted perfectly by the team's spatters of red that highlight both rage and blood, the two foundations of every good Hulk issue.
Every few panels, the team finds a way to cross the adult-oriented line, as the creepy critters infest organs and spew from bloated wounds. This horrific imagery adds to the intensity of the issue, but may turn a few readers' stomachs in the process.
All in all, "Planet Savage" is shaping up to be an exciting escapade, and truly illuminates the father-alien-son relationship that Hulk and Skaar share.
As Hulk is flown off into the sunset on exoskeleton wings, Skaar will bring the assault of a lifetime as the next issue of the series will involve everything Hulk fans enjoy – smashing, raging, and good ole' fashioned bug squishing.
iZombie No. 11
iZombie isn't the latest trend from the money-exploiting company at Apple, but a comic filled with angst, suspense, and a marvelous cast of characters that feel like the coolest hipsters that have ever been undead.
In only 11 issues, writer Chris Roberson has fleshed out a zombie comic world apart from Kirkman's famous undead fiction, The Walking Dead. Even though iZombie doesn't have the loss of characters and personality that Kirkman imbues in every issue, iZombie has a lot to love.
It follows the story of a 20-something-year-old woman, who, after many years of life, passed away, but not quite permanently. She now rolls with a ghost dead since the days of disco, and a werewolf who looks more like a terrier than anything else. The story is humorous and compelling, but posses deeper questions about anonymity.
Michael Allred's artwork takes time to get into and, at first, distracts one from the plot of the issue, but like a festering wound from the undead, it grows on the reader.
While definitely alternative on the broad spectrum of comics, the issue's lovable characters and witty dialogues will keep one's brain fresh for the zombie apocalypse.
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