Criminal

Ed Brubaker/Sean Phillips (Icon/Marvel)

You know on TV and in movies they do all these heist flicks and stuff about, you know, the bad guys. You know how most of them blow. For every Ocean's Eleven, there's an Oceans' Twelve. And for every The Departed, there's a The Brave One.

They should be looking at Brubaker for lessons.

Aside from being one of the few, if not the only, that could take over Daredevil from Bendis and actually make it work (arguably even better), the man is a master of the underworld genre. Ever since he hit the mainstream with Scene of the Crime (available in trade from Vertigo), Bru has been the go-to guy for realistic crime stories. Criminal is very much the epitome of this.

Six issue arcs that stand alone from one another, yet are connected if you want it. Characters flow in and flow out and general badness is afoot. Capes and mutants are great, but if you watch something like The Wire or Criminal Intent or like down and dirty crime flicks, you've got no business passing this one up.

And for junior (if not yourself) grab The Batman Strikes, Dreamland Club Member #31 writes many of them and he really gets it. A great story every time. I'm not just saying that either!

-Sullivan (Dreamlander-At-Large)

Marvel Comics Presents

Everybody (Marvel)

The original Marvel Comics Presents was a weekly series and from it came such memorable stories as Weapon X by Barry Windsor-Smith.

MCP is back, but it's a monthly now and it's shooting for the stars. With the likes of the reconsituted Alpha Flight, the solo adventures of Hellcat (great for those of you missing NextWave) and all kinds of weird and wild one-off stories, this is a great book. Perfect for sitting down with a bottle of Jones and some french fries and just getting lost for half an hour or so.

Go ahead, get grease on the pages. We'll sell you another one.

-Charlie (Store Manager)

The Lone Ranger

Brett Matthews& John Cassaday (IDW)

Westerns are a uniquely American genre and they're making a comeback (if, in fact, they ever left) not just in film but also in a medium essentially invented by Americans. If you've checked out Jonah Hex and liked it (and really should have by now), you can get more in the familiar form of The Lone Ranger.

Brett Matthews has devised a modern take on the classic character. Not modernized, just a little more gritty and real. Tonto, for instance is no longer a stereotypical sidekick. In fact, his is now more hte mentor role in the classic tale of a hero inspiried partly by the human need for revenge.

Even if you've never seen an episode of the Lone Ranger or have no knowledge of the character beyond him being the "man in the mask," you'll be intrigued by this dark, heroic western series.

-Albright (the part-timer)

Marvel Zombies

Robert Kirkman/Sean Phillips, et al (Marvel)

I was a Marvel Zombie.

True, but now that term has a whole new meaning. Now it means actual zombies and after Marvel's first run at a take on all their characters in a world gone zombified, it's only natural they should go back to the well and I for one can't wait to see what gets dredged up next.

The original mini-series has spawned a hardcover and trade collection (available in the store) and in featuring a new recreation of a classic Marvel cover in zombie style by Arthur Suydam, it has gone a long way toward spawning a whole sub-genre at Marvel, with zombie cover variants turning up left and right and a sequel mini-series burning up the stands.

Forget about continuity and crossovers for a minute and have some old fashioned undead fun. You can't go wrong.

-Dave (Owner)

Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Joss Whedon, et al (Dark Horse)

C'mon. It's Whedon! It's Buffy! It's Mister Pointy! What more do you need to know! Buffy Season 8 (in comics form).

-Elwood (the night janitor)

The Goon

Eric Powell (Dark Horse)

Remember the good old days when bustin' heads, fightin' monsters and drinking to excess was the order of the day? Now, you can relive it all in the pages of The Goon.

If you're a fan of Hellboy, then you're sure to dig this one. The Goon is one bad-ass bruiser with a heart of gold (except replace "heart" with "spare liver" and replace "gold" with "moral indifference") and you've got it. It's got a depression era gangster vibe with a healthy dose of Lovecraftian hi-jinx. That's right, hi-jinx. Powell's cartooney style is a great match for this unique blend of fisticuffs, frights, and finely crafted jokery. The Goon himself is supported by a brialliant supporting cast and a bizarre array of opponents. Give it a try and you won't be sorry. Just grab an issue. Any issue. There's no bigged down continuity to wrestle with, just three bucks of fun. And be sure to check out the hardcover Fancy Pants Edition. Chock full of the finest Goon tales and assorted extra stuff.

Tell 'em Harkins sent you. Then duck.

-Harkins (game boy)

Planetary

Warren Ellis/John Cassaday (Wildstorm)

Here's an extra recommendation from the whole staff. We're also not gonna tell you a damn thing about it. We think it speaks for itself. Check it out, for free, right here. Click on the pic.

We're confident that the addiction will be instantaneous.

You know where to find us.

-your pals at Dreamland