TOY STORY #0: This issue really surprised me, and in a good way. Full disclosure, I got a copy of the issue from the author, Jesse Blaze Snider, directly, but fully expected that it would be more in the vein (no pun intended) of Dead Romeo, which was written semi-poetically, or stilted, like BOOM!’s previous Toy Story books. Not so. Snider has perfectly captured the voices of the characters, and written a plot so simple and obvious, it’s surprising it isn’t the plot for Toy Story 3. To spoil a little, Andy (the titular toy’s owner) is given a second Buzz Lightyear as a present, and ends up returning it to the store. Except maybe he returns the wrong Buzz Lightyear.

Like the Toy Story movies, it uses a simple premise (there’s more than one of every toy… And if you had the chance, why wouldn’t you return your old toy for a brand new version?), and layers it expertly over the characters to push them forward in a brand new direction. The first few pages in particular are a ton of fun, with great Easter Eggs (not literally) that fill out the reading experience. All in all, this ongoing series is off to a great start, and if you like the Pixar movies, you’ll love this book.

RED HERRING #5: Every issue of this title is a crazy delight. Just when you think you know what’s going on, you find out that the whole house of cards is built on a house made of pretzel sticks. Or Lincoln logs. Or whatever it is you build houses of. Normally I’d find this sort of “everything you know is wrong” plotting annoying, and the character names, like “Red Herring” and “Meyer Weiner” too precious, or the non-stop second person narration off-puttingly weird… But every element works perfectly together to form a cohesive insanity. It’s like reading a rabbit hole with no end in sight, but every mile you fall is just more intriguing. Plus, Phillip Bond’s art is kinda sexy, if you like cartoons. Just sayin’.

THE WALKING DEAD #68: Yes, Kirkman knows you’ve seen this scenario before… Our heroes encounter a stranger who gives them hope, only for it all to come crumbling down in the most horrible way possible. He knows it, and brings up these previous situations, even ends the issue with Rick ready for the worst, while everyone expects the best. Except… Here’s my pet theory, based solely on the ending of the previous arc, and this issue: our heroes are very quickly becoming the villains. Rick tortures and tears apart humans. His son kills another child. They’re about to head into a friendly community, and I’ll bet good money completely f-ing destroy it for no good reason. They’ve been so beaten down and marginalized, they won’t be able to trust anything, and become the worst people on Earth. I could be wrong, as Kirkman has a tendency to swing things completely around in any given issue, but if this book’s overarching theme is about what we’ll do to survive, and the answer from Rick is “anything,” then he’s gone too far over the edge. Anyway, I’m glad I’m on board this title… It lost me for a bit, but ever since issue #50, it’s been back to the “anything-can-happen” feel of the first year or two.

THE UNWRITTEN #8: So, a couple of things. First, when I bought the issue, I briefly thought it was a new issue of Crossing Midnight, my previous favorite series by Mike Carey. Second, this has been a slow burn, but hot damn, it is starting to burn bright. Carey’s story of a real-life Harry Potter started simply enough, but in the last four issues, has become something completely original, magical, and in the best Vertigo tradition. Like Sandman before it, it’s a story about how we create our myths, and the people who would stop them from developing. This issue was almost Urasawa like in it’s focus, giving us a look at the children of the warden Carey’s Potter stand-in, Tommy Taylor, is currently in the custody of. We’ve seen them in the background the past few issues, and by the end, they have become a crucial part of the delicate tapestry Carey, along with artist Peter Gross, is telling. In fact, where I initially felt this was more like another Vertigo series, Fables, it’s far more in line with Sandman, or League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. By the end of this issue, I was breathless for the next.

HACK/SLASH #28: Yeah, yeah, this came out last week. Shaddup, I missed picking it up at the store. AND, it’s important to note, the Hack/Slash I know and love is back in spades in this issue. Sure, scribe Tim Seeley plays on some series continuity, bringing back the proto-Archie town Haverhill from issue #6, and one page joke villain Mary Shelly Lovecraft from… I don’t know what issue off-hand. But it works on its own as an Archie deconstruction story, there’s some hilarious bits, some gross bits, and some sexy bits. Add all those bits together, and you have a damn great issue of Hack/Slash. Hooray!