#261

It took a while to find this one.  My favorite local bookstore no longer gets HM.  The two closest comic stores didn't have it ("we could order it ... "), had to get to the big city B&N to get it.  I guess that will happen when they print half of the magazines they used to.  At least it still exists.

Cover - 6 - It's the newsstand cover of course, both this and the "Diamond" cover are Bisleys.  This one is so outlandish, the hair, the clawed glove, the barbed wire, the multitude of dangling crosses beneath the tubelet top, makes it almost like Bisley doing a parody of a Bisley cover.

No editorial, but they had some fun with the personnel titles.

Journey Into the Dark Side of the Moon - 6 - Space explorers find something unexpected.  There are some nice aspects to the art and the story, but I like this more for what it's trying to say, people have choices, than how it actually says it.  One of three Abraham Martinez stories in this issue.

Dave Wachter Gallery - 6 - I think he likes wolves.

Choose Your Own Misadventure - 5 - Some prisoners are given choices for a chance to escape, but they choose a false choice.  I noticed a bit of classism in how the choices were presented.  Would they even know what Megalodon is?  I like Llarena's writing but this is not my favorite example, but the art is nicer than he often gets.

War Pig Necrosoldier - 7 - A soldier's short story that's kind of funny but also shallow.  Cardoselli's art reminds me of Druillet in the old HM more and more these days.

Star Bride - 6 - Neat story of ancient Central American culture meets traveling aliens, again.  The art is flat but colorful.  Peoples' selfishness transcends time and space.

An ad for a Free Comic Book Day event features a Kevin Eastman sketch, of a Turtle.  What else?  At least he gets to draw more now, good for him.

Divide to Conquer - 7 - Xalabarder again displays the imagination I so like about his work.  I really liked the two stories told together, but they never really join like I hoped they would.  It's more apparent that these are part of a series, that we only see parts of, too bad.

Do You Hear the Sedna-3 Mermaid's Chant? - 8 - Even loyal android servants can't save us from evil aliens.  The art's pretty nice, the writing is even better.

17 pages of ads later ...

White Threat - 7 - Someone's lost in the woods, finds a cabin that offers no shelter.  I like the black and white art.  The story is rather simple but it's told pretty well.

Artist Studio - Andy Kuhn - 6 - nice stuff

The Tide is Coming! - 6 - An organic plague threatens, will humanity survive?  Don't know.  Looks nice, nice telling, but doesn't tell very much.

Treacherous Bullet - 6 - Crime and betrayal in the American Old West.  Nice looking art, pretty nice story.  No one gets the girl.

Back cover - 7 - Dave Wachter, I like it, it's contemplative.

A pretty good issue, variety and imagination, I still hope for more.  I'm led to believe that some editorial content and other stories will continue, hope so.