I think if someone said to me, “Simon Spurrier, he’s the guy who…”, it would be the only time I would become indignant over the name of a writer… “Yes, I do in fact know who Simon Spurrier is, thank you.”

The dawning of a new era in a publishing company is a wonderful thing, especially when you can watch it from the very onset and see it develop. This is the case as we watch the newest publishing imprint of Starburns Industries, SBI Press, begin to release their newest works to the world.

Think back - back to when you were fresh and impressionable, latching onto whatever strikes your fancy. You were influenced to be sure. TV, radio: These things meant plenty in the early '90s, but the real information was passed along the old fashioned way. Through 'zines, around hackey sack circles. The older kids and what they learned in school. Not from a text book or CliffsNotes, but from the cool science teachers or guidance counselors that turned them on to what the outside world really had to offer, far beyond the walls and confinements of school or home. Getting the skinny on what graphic novel the "alt/indie young adult crowd" was checking out and going ga-ga over. Being able to go full comic hipster and say, "Oh, Milk and Cheese? Dairy Products Gone Bad? Oh, I read that ages ago." I may be a hipster comic dork, but I'm no Evan Dorkin.

I love dogs: big dogs, small dogs, medium-sized dogs. It doesn’t really matter. So, when Odie popped up on my Kickstarter radar, I had to go and check it out. From Mississippi comes a fluffy butt Corgi with attitude, heart, and the will to survive.

“Converting scientific concepts into narrative stories helps me see patterns in nature that I hadn’t realized were there. It also helps bring a fantastical character to life that has gotten under my skin and won’t stop itching until I reveal its true nature to others…” ~ Catlin O’Connell

I'm a cynic by nature. I like to pick apart things and complain about what could have been and what should be. It takes a lot to crack my thick hide. I'm extremely pleased to say that A Girl in the Himalayas, published by Archaia, succeeded after the first few pages.

You can tell Cullen Bunn is out to have some fun with The Damned. Yeah, there’s some serious goings on with demons and life and death, forgiveness, guilt, and all that, but with issue #9, Bunn digs in his heels and leans into the whole 1930s mafia world. We’re introduced to two new characters: Sophie and Wyrm, a brother-and-sister thieving team who are along for the ride with Eddie and Morgan. Eddie is the anti-hero of this world, and when he’s not tending to his mother brought back from the dead, he’s a cursed human who can’t die and who gets himself caught neck deep in trouble at every corner. His brother Morgan is the muscle, but smart, though - smart enough to know when Eddie is leading him by the nose. Eddie and Morgan can see the demons; Wyrm and Sophie can’t.

The most surprising thing about this issue was on the final page reading "To Be Concluded." Nothing in this issue or the issues leading up to it gave me the distinct impression that this was to be the penultimate issue. Grass Kings, from chapter to chapter, has broken from your typical storytelling structures. In some ways, that’s benefited the story; you really have no idea where it’s going next. In other ways, it’s made it difficult to build a continuing sense of tension, stakes, or drama. Grass Kings is part murder mystery, part political allegory, and part snapshot of a type of people. The story doesn’t always capture all of these elements in a balanced way, but as you snake back and forth between stories and characters, there are those moments of brilliance that make the series worth reading.

If you don’t already know, I’m a huge fan of military sci-fi. From Jack Campbell to John Scalzi to Orson Scott Card to Elizabeth Moon, they all have something to offer. But now, it looks like Joe Haldeman has jumped into comics once again with an ongoing series from Titan Comics. I had the pleasure of getting a signed copy of The Forever War, Vol. 1: Private Mandella at Forbidden Planet in New York in 1990. The new comic series is based on his second series of novels set in the same universe.

The final issue of Giants showcases the big, epic battle between monsters and brothers that the previous issue promised. It’s visceral, cinematic, and emotional. The outcome isn’t necessarily unexpected. The story has veered slightly away from the complex world the first issue created in exchange for a more good vs. evil showdown, or at least enlightened vs. led astray showdown; that delineation feeds into the emotional gravitas of the final moments. So, while the outcome isn’t unexpected, it is satisfying. Every twist and turn in this sci-fi actioneer calls upon elements of everything from Evangelion, Akira, and Godzilla. Every story element has been crafted beautifully into the story. Nothing feels inauthentic. Now, I will give a book the best compliment it can get: What would have made it more satisfying is if this series had a much longer run. Comic books, more than cinema and even television, have the ability to world build to the Nth degree. They can take their time and really delve into the characters, who they become, and why. Where Giants falls short for me is literally in the fact that it fell short…issue-count wise.