JENNIFER BLOOD by GARTH ENNIS review

JENNIFER BLOOD #1-3

Writer: Garth Ennis

Art: Adriano Batista and Marcos Marz

Published by Dynamite Entertainment

Review by Stewart Loud

Do you lament the absence of Garth Ennis' unique writing talents from the pages of The Punisher? Do you like gritty, realistic, violent crime/vengeance stories? Do you maybe just have a strange urge to see what the Punisher might be like if he were a woman who was married with two kids and living in a nice house in a quiet suburban neighbourhood? If you answered yes to any or all of the above questions then start reading Jennifer Blood!

ULTIMATE AVENGERS vs NEW ULTIMATES #1-6 review

ULTIMATE AVENGERS vs NEW ULTIMATES (DEATH OF SPIDER-MAN) #1-6

Writer: Mark Millar

Art: Lenil Yu

Published by Marvel Comics

Also available in collected edition paperback from Panini UK LTD

Review by Stewart Loud

Someone's been feeding the covert Avengers team and the Ultimates misinformation to turn them against each other and it results in one hell of a tear up! In the midst of all this confusion, someone puts a bullet in Spider-man and can you guess who pulls the trigger?

ULTIMATE AVENGERS 3 #1-6 review

ULTIMATE AVENGERS 3: BLADE vs THE AVENGERS #1-6

Writer: Mark Miller

Art: Steve Dillon

Published by Marvel Comics

Also available in collected edition paperback from Panini UK LTD

Review by Stewart Loud

All the vampires in the world have decided to get together in one massive bunch along with a few freshly bitten super heroes and go and batter Nick Fury and all of his Avenger and S.H.I.E.L.D. mates at the Triscellion. Looks like Blade's the only guy who can save them all from being eaten or turned into vampires but no bastard will listen to him!

ELEPHANTMEN WAR TOYS Volume 1: NO SURRENDER review

ELEPHANTMEN WAR TOYS Vol 1: No Surrender

Collects Elephantmen War Toys #1-3

Writer: Richard Starkings

Art: Moritat

From Image Comics

Review by Stewart Loud

War Toys is a prequel to the on-going Elephantmen series set in the year 2239 during the war between China and Africa as they fight over what's left of Europe after it was devastated by a disease that reduced its population to mere thousands. If there's one thing I enjoy reading about, it's post-apocalyptic future war and chances are you'll enjoy this one too.

A look at PUNISHER #1 (2011 new ongoing series)

PUNISHER #1 (2011)

Writer: Greg Rucka

Art: Marco Checchetto

Article written by Stewart Loud

The new Punisher ongoing series written by Greg Rucka is finally here and #1 really is a very good looking book indeed. The comic opens with a shockingly violent, messy gunfight at a wedding reception resulting in a massacre and is followed by what looks like it could shape up to be every bit as good as Rick Remender and Garth Ennis' runs before it. Welcome back to the 616, Frank. It's been too long. And you seem to be sporting a hair do a bit more like mine as well!

THE BOYS Volume 8: HIGHLAND LADDIE review

THE BOYS volume 8: HIGHLAND LADDIE graphic novel

Collects #1-6 of the Highland Laddie mini series

Writer: Gath Ennis

Art: John McCrae and Keith Burns

Published by Dynamite Entertainment

Review by Stewart Loud

Women pooping out 17 foot tape worms and guys getting speared through the head by falling shafts of frozen piss. It's a Garth Ennis book all right! In the latest volume of his tremendous series The Boys, Hughie takes a trip to his home town of Auchterladle in Scotland for some time to himself after his break up with Annie since he discovered the details of her secret identity as a member of The Seven and how many cocks she had to juggle to gain membership.

REQUIEM VAMPIRE KNIGHT book 4 review

Collects the stories THE CONVENT OF THE SISTERS OF BLOOD and THE QUEEN OF DEAD SOULS

Writer: Pat Mills

Art:Olivier Ledroit

Published by Panini Publishing

Review by Stewart Loud

My favourite series of 2011 continues apace in another brilliantly twisted, shocking and funny graphic novel from 2000ad creator, Pat Mills. This one's so good I'm almost wishing I hadn't given all the previous books 10/10 so I could score it higher than them. Yep, loads more nudity and gore, plenty of off colour Monty Pythonesque jokes, more spectacular artwork and more ideas and plot devices so dark and original that it grabs your attention like a sobering slap in the face for your brain.