This is a nice one-shot from one of the hosts of the Geek Savants podcast. Gnome is published by Super Real Graphics.Gnome is an all-ages comic book that tells the story of the last guardian gnome defending the earth from an entity trying to break through. The story is set in the 1950s and also focuses on Andy a young man who has moved from the big city to a small town and is trying to make a life for himself. He has inherited a house from his later uncle. A man who kept pretty much to himself and disappears under suspicious circumstances. Andy ends up getting a lawn gnome statue at a flea market.

The lawn gnome comes to life and works with Andy to get ready to fight the entity trying to enter our world through his basement. I’m not going to further spoil the plot. I may have already said too much. But this is not just the tale of the last gnome on earth, but also a coming-of-age tale for Andy. Sorta.

This book is awesome. Plus Dave did a pretty cool thing for people who pre-ordered the comic through DCBS (Discount Comic Book Service), he would sketch the hero/villain of your choice as a gnome. I, of course, elected to get one done of my City of Heroes character, Vindicator done. I’ll post a pic here

as soon as I can get it scanned in.

You can still get a copy of this book. Ask your local comic shop to order it, or you can get it from Super Real Graphics or Amazon.com

From the back of the book:

“Gnomes are real! Believed to be simple yard decoration, these Garden Gnomes once roamed the Earth as its greatest protectors. Lonmg ago a curse was placed upon them, petrifying them until the day they were needed to protect the Earth once more. In 1956 the world was in peril … and one lonely gnome answered the call.”/

Hack/Slash #6 (Devil’s Due)

The Return of Father Wrath!

Cassie and Vlad enter Haverhill in search of Father Wrath - and we see an art style change. The rest of the issue is presented in an Archie style. The story starts with 3 friends talking about a school dance being held that night. Taber, the Archie of this issue, has asked two girls to the dance and is freaking out. One of his friends begins to plot how he could benefit from this. He is approached by someone with a solution. Taber is convinced to wear a Father Wrath costume - and someone else will be at the dance in the same outfit - that way he can spend time with both girls without arousing suspicion. Taber’s friend spikes the punch and makes a move on Taber’s girl after she has had a lot of punch. Cassie and Vlad enter and Cassie tackles Taber thinking he is the real Father Wrath. Meanwhile, Father Wrath has followed Taber’s friend and his date to the locker room waiting for them to sin…so he can bash their heads in with a giant cross. Taber’s friend gets it, but Vlad is able to save the girl just in time. Turns out this is not the original Father Wrath, but his nephew.

If you were ever remotely a fan of Slasher movies - this title is for you! There are 3 trades out now - get them or check to see if your local library has them.

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Angel - After the Fall #1 (IDW)

Here we have the story of Angel picking up after the end of season 5. LA has literally been taken to Hell. Angel has convinced the dragon last seen in the final frames from the last episode of the show to be his ally. They are working to round up normal humans and take them to a safe haven. Who runs that safe haven - his son, Connor.

Angel returns to the Wolfram and Hart building and has a dustup with a demon lord. Wesley comes to break it up. Yep Wesley. Just as Lyla was tied to Wolfram and Hart after death, so to is Wesley’s spirit. We have more setup on the current status quo as we see Gunn and his gang taking out demons and freeing their slaves. After clearing out the demons, they promptly turn on the grateful humans and feed on them. Turns out, they are vampires - even Gunn.

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Necessary Evil #2 (Desperao Publishing)

The premise: There exists a special hidden school of supervillainy. Jacob and Miller, twin sons of the Matriarch, have just joined the school. Miller is totally intoit, but Jacob is not sure he wants to be a supervillain.

This is an amazing title and in two issues has climbed into my top 10 ongoing series.

Issue 2 opens with the first day of school with classes like History of Supervillainy, Avoiding Forensic Experts and Mystic Weapons. In the last class of the day, Anti gives them an assignment entitled The Death of Innocence. Jacob, Miller and a few others work together to solve the riddle. Jacob discovers the way through a mystic portal to a forest glen. On a pedestal, sits a baby and a knife. As a girl picks up the knife, we cut to a base in the sky and a gathering of heroes. Dr. Daylight has confirmed the existence of the school and put his sidekick, Sunrise, undercover.

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Maintenance #6 (Oni)

The Premise: Doug and Manny are maintenance men for TerroMax, inc., the world’s largest organization dedicated to helping mad scientists and evil geniuses conduct their research. Doug and Manny have to clean up after the scientists when their experiments go bad- from babysitting a Man/Shark hybrid to being shrunk to microscopic size to take care of intelligent bacteria living in a toilet bowl.

Yes, this is a comedy series. A slightly dark comedy series.

In this issue, the heating system is on the fritz an all the scientists and employees are meeting for an office party in the lounge. Except for Doug and Manny. They have to report to a scientists lab to clean up a coffee spill. What they don’t know is that the coffee spilled onto a batch of chemicals and is now alive … and hungry. It devoured the scientist and nearly devoured Doug and Manny. They pursue it throughout TerroMax, only to see it run into the lounge. As it begins devouring scientists left and right, it heads towards the secretary who handily captures it in a thermos.

I cannot stress how much fun this series is. While so many comics are being dark and serious, this title is a refreshing change of pace.

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