The group is met with a devastating finding in the opening scene, the men stand at a loss and their unity takes another hit. Their mission and future both come into question and they’ve only just begun on this path, not all is as it seems though within the ranks and questions rise forward from the viewer on what’s really going on. It’s a troubling scene and their return to the villa only shows the fracturing that has begun within this group of escapees.

Glaber faces his own problems, Asher’s return brings Oenomaus but his cooperation still lacks, on top of this situation of finding Spartacus, Ilithyia brings not only her father to the Villa but Vorenus as well. Their arrival brings an announcement of the city playing host for  2 weeks of games to distract the attention of the public from the rampage of Spartacus and his men. The twist of the knife comes from Glaber’s role to this event and further damage to his ego from this incident with Spartacus not only in this slaughter but from his attack at market as well.

Lucretia and Asher have their own story spinning off, the current role rides on Asher and his information extraction to prove the gods are really favoring Lucretia in her prayers and sacrifices to them. Will it be enough to win Glaber and keep control over him, it’s not exactly certain given Oenomaus has extreme loyalties to the house and to his fellow gladiators.

Spoilers if you can’t wait

Vengeance episode 3 is a series a twists and turns and the fanning of the story is already in full swing as they scramble in every direction to find those pieces that matter most. Crixus continues a tale of woe and Spartacus struggles to find his place as a leader as his people conflict, the stakes get even higher and he puts lives on the line in these missions. He’s learning but he shows that he’s only human in all of this chaos and even the best plans are not immune to roadblocks. Episode 1 left many people concerned about the progress of the story, with these viewing’s it’s clear they’re on a very clear path with it and we just need to hold in. As a whole Episode 3 strikes hard at the viewers, the balance of good and evil will always sway side to side in a show like this, but there are those moments you just cringe hoping for the better and this was one of those times.

Visually they’re able to muster many creative areas, the Arena returns in full glory, the forests provide a pleasant change of pace and the mines even hold a unique touch in their presentation. The location and set design has evolved after being so isolated to simple dungeons and areas of the Villa and it gives Vengeance added depth. They’re not just figures locked in a box that goes a to b to c, they have dessert sections, forests, mountains and more and no story will just occupy one area.

Story:	4.5/5.0
Cinematography:	5.0/5.0
Dialog:	4.5/5.0
Overall:	4.5/5.0

Benjamin Carre Cover

Zayne Carrick seems to have no luck at all, after trying to flee to start a new life he’s drafted into the Republic war effort and as we left him in issue #1… he’s about to switch sides in the same war after being captured. The Mandalorian’s are pushing with full force in their effort to conquer, capture and expand their footprint in the galaxy against the Republic with their own stockpile of Jedi on their side including Zayne. Was it Zayne’s best move to rush into the Mandalorian filled forest to warn them? We find out in this issue as the Mandalorian’s are exposed outside of just being a conquering group of mercenaries and slaves in this war.

The intro of course doesn’t support that last line, the Mandalorian Knights and soldiers are storming a new planet, tactically crippling their communications and taking over their people as a whole. Zayne is pressed to learn the ropes of this outfit as they go in guns blazing and everyone holds their own or dies trying. The Mandalorian way seems to escape him as he fails to preserve life and narrowly dodges enslavement. It’s war and he has to get with it or be destroyed by it, unfortunately this message doesn’t ring through all of the new recruits and it slaps Zayne right in the face.

Issue #2 of War takes us not only through the struggles of Zayne but the world of the Mandalorian faction, they’re builders and survivors, instead of living as slaves they have a surprising optimism to their lives and work. Going so far as to continue the new chapter by even setting roots as they go from planet to planet expanding their front in this war. It’s a shock to see the death mask removed from them even though some are unable to accept what they see before their eyes.

As I complain that some stories go by too fast, KOTOR War #2 extends itself out to give background while still showcasing the battles and personal struggles of Zayne as he’s caught up in this battle and learns that he might have a role to still fit in all of it.

The art and style of the book are consistent and filled with pure tones, taking on more of a comic form they’re stressed around accuracy to the Star Wars franchise and conveying emotion through the words more than just the art. The controlled strokes of the book rely on shadowing and faster gestures to really only emphasize deep thought and action sequences. The rest retain a very straight forward gesture as wounds, gunshots and more are all clearly depicted. For those who have enjoyed the KOTOR series so far, War is a worthwhile investment as it dives right into this battle and creates an early bond with the reader.

Preview it: Dark Horse Comics
Pre-order: TFAW 

Release Date: February 8th, 2012

Story:	4.5/5.0
Art:	4.0/5.0
Dialog:	4.5/5.0
Overall:	4.5/5.0

Garry Brown Cover

Stasis has not been kind to our crew in Dark Matter, awakened into turmoil and forced to find their instinctive knowledge or face death the crew raced into action. Issue 2 continues the escape from their mysterious attacker and plans of survival after being confronted with this blank slate. The issue brings a very rough ride for the crew, losing gravity at one point and their comfort as they confront a new world after a high-speed burst.

The issue rushes through in the same speedy pace as issue 1, the chase is on as they strive to escape attackers and find their own histories through the wiped logs of the ship. The art of the pages keeps urgency and the same high contrast styling and pauses as needed when even the crew are caught off guard in new revelations about their erased objectives. If you can’t hold on much longer for spoilers click below.

That’s all, and I left out a ton of goodies too!

There’s a certain cinematic or scripted drama to Dark Matter, it moves quickly and honestly feels like a blip in a time as you wait for more. I honestly hope this story can wrap up all the drama before this series is up, it has so much promise and yet it simply teases readers with little bits here and there in each issue. We’ve gone from near destruction in stasis to escape from an unknown enemy to a planet of survivalist  humans and now to the truth about all of the team… well almost all of them.

The art is crisp and clean, it emphasizes speed, stress, awakening without a hurdle, the speed of the strokes translates the urgency or situation with every line, the dialog personalised each character and brought them into their own in this issue. Showing that while they were a team, they’re very different and have their own agendas lingering underneath their amnesia filled awakenings. Anyone that felt hooked by issue 1 will feel the rush return with this installment, the tensions are high and the mysteries just keep getting worse. Who are they, what are they up to, what will they do with this clean slate on their plate, who set them up and who is behind this new pursuit? They’re working on all these questions and it just gets better and better.

If you desperately need a teaser check out Dark Horse Comics for the teaser pages to hold you for now. Alternatively, secure your copy from TFAW before it releases.

Release Date: February 8th, 2012

Story:	4.0/5.0
Art:	5.0/5.0
Dialog:	4.0/5.0
Overall:	4.0/5.0

Massimo Carnevale Cover

This Adventure starts with a horse bound Conan on the run from Court Guardsmen as they race through the dark alley ways and merchant villas of Massantia. As the chase continues, Conan makes way towards the shipping docks and jumps aboard a trading ship headed to Kush. Once aboard he is greeted by Tito, the master of the ship who ask’s the cimmerian the reason he’s on the run from the Massantia guards, as Conan tells him the story of how he was accused of killing one of the officers inside the bone in throat Inn located on The Old Wharf Road. He see’s the kings guards mistreating a young lady who was the sweet heart of a soldier that he didn’t approve of and ran his sword through the captain in middle of the tavern. As more guardsmen show up he is too dunk to make a run for it, he is captured and put in  jail for the murder of the captain as they assumed he was friends of the man who actually committed the crime.

[[Visit blog to check out this spoiler]]

Let me say this, I have noticed that all of the ongoing Conan stories such as Road of Kings and King Conan make references towards one another’s adventures making them similar. For example in this issue, it starts with Conan jumping upon a ship after escaping the Massantia court guards. what’s cool is that in Roy Thomas’s Conan: Road Of Kings #12, Conan breaks free of his chains and kills everyone inside the court room he then  steals a horse and makes his way to the docks. This issue, Conan talks to Tito about being captured and brought before the same judge for the same exact crime as in Road Of  Kings #12. The only difference is Conan doesn’t know the man who killed the guard. Like I said the writing is so similar to one another that I thought maybe the writers all agreed to make their adventures correspond to one another.

Final thoughts: With the writing being so similar and identical to Road of Kings #12 in the beginning that i found myself looking to see if i was reading the Queen Of The Black Coast or if I was reading Road Of Kings#13, writer Brian Wood’s version will be unoriginal to some of the more serious readers, as for me… I don’t mind it at all. As for the art, Becky Cloonan ( The Guild: Zaboo, WOLVES, Channel Zero) gives it a more cartoonish style…

Release Date: February 08, 2012

Story:	4.0/5.0
Art:	3.5/5.0
Dialog:	4.0/5.0
Overall:	4.0/5.0

We left Spartacus just finishing a lesson in leadership, having to watch for the sake of his people who joined him over his own personal desire for retribution. Episode 2 starts on a different foot, instead it shows us the story to a young man in the mines, trying to fight for his life against an ogre of an opponent. As we know from Blood and Sand, the mines are a kill or be killed environment so it’s no surprise to see such a brutal demonstration. There is a twist though, Titus Batiatus returns from the grave for what will be a long flashback through the episode.

The followers take on a new goal, the search for Naevia is on and the group will stop at nothing to see that fulfilled… well at least Crixus will stop at nothing. Fans of his character will get some excitement seeing his drive igniting again as he pushes with determination to find his lost love, each Dominus gets a target on their back during this search and Crixus struggles to control his rage. Spartacus and the others use this time to recoup and take pleasure, even then the times are not so simple as social clashes continue with the Gauls and the limited numbers of their men at hand. As the first episode brought viewers to see the struggle and lack of organization, this episode shows that it will take more than slight collaboration to keep them together in this fight.

The life of the Romans gets just as complicated, Ilithyia has had her mind take her elsewhere, traveling to another, is it a slip or is it a tease? Either way this will continue to be the least of her problems as Lucretia continues to win the favor and interest Glaber in her reborn state, so much so that she’s able to call to the gods on his behalf for assistance. Add on the struggle of Glaber to recruit men in his venture to capture Spartacus and his plea to the gods gets greater understanding, his inherited title through marriage still haunts him as he tries to draw favor and men from those around him.

Spoilers for those unable to wait:

The story pushes forward in episode 2 into many branches, just as everything condensed into a single moment at the end of Blood and Sand it’s all exploding again as so many mysteries lay open. One thing is for certain, this is going to be a hell of a ride this season with so many wildcards in play. While I did include spoilers of this episode I did leave some bits out that you’ll just have to tune in to see, or cheat and wait until our Episode 3 review goes up and simply run from there.

Visually the episode takes a shot above episode 1, the moods, lighting and settings are all more developed. The action sequences feel seamless where they stuttered before, the transitions are clean and the slow motion sequences are balanced in their use to showcase the space they battle in and everyone involved not just one figure. There’s a lot of growth happening this season for the entire crew and it shows as they find their rhythm again. The engaging sequences are a draw to any fan of the series or newcomer, you get the tension struggle and thirst for blood throughout. The breaking of the stories is a welcome twist, the series often thrived on everyone being at their worst for intent, hopefully we will see that rise in the coming episodes.

Story:	4.5/5.0
Cinematography:	4.5/5.0
Dialog:	4.0/5.0
Overall:	4.5/5.0

Phil Noto Cover

This review will largely have me fawning over Spike. I try to act impartial but when it comes to the awesomeness that is Spike, it becomes very hard to do. This issue has Buffy dealing with the aftermath of the news that she learned at the end of the last issue. She seeks advice from someone who has first hand knowledge of what it’s like to fall into an impossible situation where the answers aren’t so easy. As Buffy is getting advice and trying to figure out her future, Spike is on a ride-a-long with Officer Dowling. Spike is trying to teach him about the subtleties of zompires. As Spike is explaining the enigma that is Buffy, he receives a S.O.S call from her and without hesitation he’s on his way (swoon). Buffy spills life changing news to Spike, who does nothing but listen and be supportive. As Buffy asks Spike for help, Spike again, without missing a beat is there for her.

This issue is very good and very sad. Spike is amazing, from his very concise summary of his and Buffy’s “story” to his right into action chivalrous behavior. The art is fantastic, the somber tone is captured extremely well. I love the cover, it is irrefutable that Spike has Buffy’s back (without judgment) both literally and figuratively and this is what makes him the best. This issue is the first in a two issue story arc which hopefully will conclude in a not so easy wrap-up in the next issue. Hopefully, I didn’t fawn too much, but I think once everyone reads the issue my Spike love will be understood!

Georges Jeanty Cover

Release Date: February 8^th, 2011

Story:	4.0/5.0
Art:	4.0/5.0
Dialog:	3.5/5.0
Overall:	4.0/5.0

Silver Dollar beef jerky

The container comes in a small tub, screw on cap with a 4 for $1 sticker on top, packed inside are 80 pieces of round cut jerky ready for the devouring once you break the air tight metal seal on top. The texture isn’t like many other varieties out there, smooth but not from a heavy grease or wax like film and the smell of the jerky is well pronounced. Taste does have a bit of a smoke to it with the sweetness and basic spices making up the teriyaki marinade, texture is tender allowing for easy bites and easy savoring without it breaking down. Those who prefer an easier to chew variety in controlled portions will no doubt enjoy this product as it tempts anyone to just consume the jar. At $11.51 it’s not a bad deal and if you have a bar or snack counter in your gaming area you can always recoup for your investment by taking their suggestion of 4 for $1 as it would allow for close to 2 jars after paid off.

Personally it’s handy to have as opposed to sheets of jerky that can result in irregular sizes pulled by my hand or others that want a snack. You get a sense of what you’re consuming when you pull 4-5 pieces out vs ripping half a sheet. For those looking to budget their diets it’s a good alternative.

Beef sticks 

Always a classic for anyone, from pepperoni sticks to Slim Jim’s the beef stick is one of the more common delights out there. Tillamook has their own take on the treat, attacking common areas like oily tastes, saltyness and a lack of flavor penetration. The 21 count jar of sticks in teriyaki form comes dry of excess oils and filled with a scent of goodness, on top of that, the sticks come in a separately sealed bag inside the jar.

Taste is faint at first, the thicker casing adds a slight snap to each bite but soon you build the flavor up as you get past the ends of the stick. If compared to the silver dollar slices it’s not as prominent of a flavor but it’s still enjoyable, once you breach the casing the meat is tender and flavorful without much smoke to it, overall a satisfying snack to work on while writing this very section of the article. At 21 pieces it could very well carry one almost a month just in casual snacking each day.

Wrapping up, it’s hard to knock Tillamook Country Smoker on the samples. The silver dollar pieces are downright addicting to have especially in this volume, the beef sticks are a solid alternative when your craving exceeds a few pieces of those dollars. One only has to wonder what else rests in store given that TCS also makes beef nuggets, sheets of beef in traditional form, sausage, jerky chew and more.

Catch their site for the full choice of goods, unfortunately it’s a bit hard to find their stuff in-store, usually you can only keep an eye out at gas stations for the 3-4 space boxes of slab jerky or the tall tubes with beef sticks. Honestly I’ve never run across the Silver Dollar jerky in person until now but it’s very good especially if you just need a quick few for the road. Most of their prices are always on discount and there are many shipping options, I do suggest the slight upgrade for priority mail though if you want it fast or UPS ground if you want to cyber-stalk your order to your door.

Also, if you have family or friends in active duty that you want to get hooked as well, check out their care package that ships over there. Tillamook Country Smoker seems to know no bounds for shipping around this world.

In 2012 we have a revised release of the book handled under the care of 47North that launches today January 24th, the revised book comes in at 442 pages although 422 of them show the story itself. Resurrection comes with revised artwork, heavy stock pages and a comforting font size. I do have to admit, I never caught the first release of the book but this will be a thorough review based on our copy. If you’re looking for detailed tidbits at a risk of knowing too much, I do suggest reading the spoiler section as I do not wish to ruin the book for anyone.

The Lucien and Kinley are opposing cultures gripped in a struggle for destruction of each other, with a past of nuclear war and plagues designed for genocide  there’s little for these cultures to feel at ease about. The Kinley face a struggle against radiation that engulfs their planet and endangers their entire future, to top that off the Lucien colonies have banded together to exterminate them in a future strike. With only legends and fables to drive their hope, the Kinley place it all on the line to recover lost artifacts that stand as their only hope of salvation. Fate would not be so kind in Dayton’s world to let this pass though, instead the path ahead of them rests in tragedy, struggle and survival against all odds.

Resurrection isn’t just a regular Sci-Fi piece, it brings in historical references to the land of Egypt and it drives a detailed experience to the reader to immerse them in this world. From the character descriptions to the bleak surrounding as Pruit passes through space in what can only be described as a test of faith in her mission. It brings cultures clashing over stories that have become legends, both sides grounded in their own hate and disgust for each other and looking only toward a final death-blow to the other group. The tensions of these two groups only bring down crushing weight upon all those involved in this mission which spans the length of the book.

When you bounce between thousands of years earlier, then present day and then flashbacks, it’s not an easy task. Dayton manages to weave these stories together from polar opposite ends of the spectrum into a single intensive story line, the lost scientists, the Kinley struggle and the Lucien thwart attempts and a bunch of Earthlings caught up in the mix all find a harmony as the acts draw together. In some moments it’s heart breaking and in other chapters it drives an urge for triumph in light of all the tragedy. No one has it easy in the universe for Resurrection, not now and not 5,000 years ago, there’s always a conflict or a desire for power and it doesn’t matter if its aliens or humans involved.

[[Visit blog to check out this spoiler]]

The only issue for some is the cinematic style of writing may wear down some readers, the details come in waves as new areas and characters enter the story. Not only are the introduced in attire but they’re often detailed down to their odor in some cases, vehicles and environments often take up the same detail to some level as well. It’s certainly helpful to see that much information but it does tax the casual crowd.

Resurrection brings many elements of storytelling into a single package, delivering an experience that will take readers down this troubled path of the Kinley race and their bleak future. It’s a detailed adventure that drags readers in and keeps them curious for more. Sci-Fi fans will no doubt find some comfort and familiarity in the read and Action/Adventure fans will find something to enjoy as well given the rules of the world don’t adhere strictly to the genre. At $10.76 in paperback on Amazon or $4.99 for the Kindle version it’s a great title to include in your personal library.

Release date: Now! [Amazon]

Optional: Tomorrow we’ll be unveiling our Resurrection launch contest to win a paperback copy of the book!

Story:	4.0/5.0
Dialog:	4.0/5.0
Overall:	4.0/5.0

First hailing Conan as a liberator after he annihilated Aquilonia’s foes on the battlefield, common folk and politicians alike now rally to unseat the Cimmerian from his stolen throne. Conspirators plot to kill King Conan and take the crown for themselves…

A man walks to the entrance of a place but gets stopped by a guard who ask’s the young newcomer his reason of visit, the young man explains that he is a scribe who came to  the king. Walking in the garden, he see’s a few people gather around watching an elderly Conan sparring with some of his sentries, when Conan finish’s up and talks a drink of his homemade brew the scholar tells him how the councilor thinks it’s important for Conan to share stories of his reign for future generations to read about. As they walk in the garden, they come across a statue of the poet Rinaldo who Conan call’s a traitor and begins to speak of the story of when he was a scout for the Aquilonian’s and mentions how the kingdom was in turmoil. The people tired of their king’s tyrant ways started to over throw him which Conan found himself in the middle of, the madness which ended with him at the throne. As the years pass those he had jailed or outcast had begun to conspire  against him.

[[Visit blog to check out this spoiler]]

King Conan: The Phoenix on the Sword is writing as if Conan himself is telling the story, something fans familar with King Conan: The Scarlet Citadel issue’s should notice right away. Past characters of Robert E.  Howard’s The Phoenix On The Sword are once again featured in this adaptation. With solid writing by Timothy Truman, Tomas Giorello and Jose Villarrubia teaming up to bring this adventure to life visually, With that said King Conan#1 should be well received by fans…

Release Date: January 25, 2012

Story:	4.0/5.0
Art:	4.0/5.0
Dialog:	4.0/5.0
Overall:	4.0/5.0