New: Wild's End and Annihilator

Wild's End (Boom! Studios)

Dan Abnet (w) I.N.J. Culbard (a)

This six issue mini series caught my attention in part due to the writer Dan Abnett who has written quite a few good tales for the big two comic companies not least of which is Guardians of the Galaxy, now a major feature film. Small publishers are more concerned these days with producing good self contained stories rather than trying to build the kind of "shared universes" that Marvel and Dc use for their characters.

Wild's End is set in rural England in the thirties apparently and in in world where animals replace humans this is a comic that should be shared with younger readers, but is entirely suitable for "older audiences". The basic plot of the first issue sees the local poacher Fawkes (a Fox) getting pissed in the middle of Hightop Wood sometime after Midnight. Enter a shooting star (that hits the ground) and off we go.

On the face of it it seems to be a kind of War of the Worlds with funny animals, except they behave like normal people. And pity Mrs Piggy or whatever her name is for trying to shoo an alien device out of her kitchen. Doesn't end well.

Enter an old sea dog (literally) and the local villagers set off to find out what the threat is.

Great fun.



Annihilator (Legendary Comics)

Grant Morrison (w) Frazer Irving (a)

At the more "mature" end of the comics spectrum comes this latest tome by Grant Morrison who's other comic Multiversity is proving a hit over at DC Comics. I'm not familiar with this publisher and nearly overlooked it when going through the Previews catalogue. However I'm pleased that I gave this odd but entertaining sci-fi tale a try.

Simply put writer Ray Spass decides to buy a house with "haunted properties" to help inspire his obviously ailing career. His other inspirations include alcohol, drugs and prostitutes as he develops the first chapter of his story.

Then fiction becomes life. How is this possible.

No spoilers, just read, you won't be disappointed!