Spider-man Fairy Tales

Writer for all: C.B.Cebulski

Letterer for all: Artmonkeys' Dave Lanphear

Off the Beaten Path - Artist: Ricardo Tercio

The Spirits of Friendship - Artist: Niko Henrichon

Eclipse - Artist: Kei Kobayashi

              Colourist: Christina Strain

What you wish for: Co-Writer: Mindy Owens

                              Penciller: Nick Dragotta

                              Inker: Mike Allred

                             Colourist: Laura Allred
Publisher: Marvel

What's it about?
This retells four fairy tales and myths from around the world, using the cast of Spider-Man.  The blurb on the back states that it is' re-imagining the greatest Spider-Man stories through folktales, myths and fables from across the globe!'  As a casual Spider-Man fan I only spotted one specific Spider-Man story woven into these myths, so don't be put off by this text.

The book features four stories -

Promethea Volume 1

Writer: Alan Moore
Penciller: J.H.Williams III
Colourist: Wildstorm FX, Jeromy Cox, Alex Sinclair, Nick Bell, Digital Chameleon
Inker: Mick Gray
Letterer: Todd Klein
Additional art by Charles Vess 
Publisher: DC Comics

What's it about?
Set in an alternate, near future world, college student Sophie Bangs is researching Promethea stories for a school project - Promethea is a recurring character in many different pieces of literature over the centuries.  Sophie tracks down and meets with the widow of the last writer to focus on Promethea.

At this meeting Sophie discovers that there once was an Egyptian girl named Promethea, and furthermore, when Sophie writes poetry about Promethea, that is when she uses her imagination to connect with the idea of Promethea, she becomes her.  Moreso, there have been Prometheas created like this, before her.  Sophie as Promethea gains mystical powers and can travel to a realm called the Immateria, a world of myth and fiction where ideas have reality.  Within the Immateria Sophie learns about the history of Promethea and is trained for battle with the demons who are out to destroy Promethea and all her vessels.

The Muppet Show Comic Book- Meet The Muppets

The Muppet Show Comic Book- Meet The Muppets

Writer and artist: Roger Langridge
Colours: Didikore Studios
Publisher: Boom Studios

It’s time to play the music,
It’s time to light the lights,
It’s time to meet the Muppets on the Muppet Show tonight!

What’s It About?
The Muppets: a collections of pigs, frogs, dogs and… things. Together they run a small variety theatre complete with songs, sketches, stand-up routines, backstage shenanigans and pessimistic hecklers all presided over by history’s most put-upon impresario: Mister Kermit The Frog.

The Muppet Show Comic Book resurrects the classic children’s programme in a new format, suitable for all ages.

Terra

Story: Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti
Pencils: Amanda Connor
Colourist: Paul Mounts
Inks: Amanda Connor and Jimmy Palmiotti
Letterer: Travis Lanham
Publisher: DC Comics

What's it about?
This trade collects Supergirl issue #12, featuring this Terra's first appearance, and the four issue Terra miniseries released in 2008/2009.  This collection serves as an introduction to the latest character to the Terra name.

This is the third character to be named Terra, all have powers over rock and earth.  As an introductory volume, we learn more about who this Terra is, where she comes from and what her relationship to the previous Terra's is.  She comes up against a power hungry bad guy who has been turned to diamond by a mysterious pool located near the middle of the earth, fights all manner of monsters from beneath the earth's crust such as lava creatures, and makes friends with certain surface dwelling superheroes.  It's basically a get to know you volume. 

Penny and Aggie

Penny and Aggie

Writer and co-creator: T. Campbell
Original artist and co-creator: Gisele Lagace
Current artist: Jason Waltrip

“She’ll go far in this world. And she’ll get whatever she wants… by making dozens, hundreds, of people feel like you feel right now. And we gave her the power. So it will be our fault.”
- Penny

What’s It About?
Penny And Aggie follows the relationships of a large and varied group of American teenagers. Aggie is a budding activist, socially conscious and outwardly quite emotionally mature. Penny, meanwhile, is Aggie’s chosen arch-enemy: a rich, spoilt and outwardly selfish popular girl. If that all sounds stereotypical (and it does, I admit it) then rest assured that over the years the two characters grow and change: Penny is not the monster Aggie initially believes her to be and neither is Aggie as perfect as she believes herself to be.

It's a Bird...

Writer: Steven T. Seagle
Artist: Teddy Kristiansen


What's it about?
Steven T. Seagle, professional comic writer, is offered a stint on the Superman book.  For most comics creators, this is the ultimate honour and indicates that they have 'made it', however, Seagle turns it down.  the reason he gives is that Superman doesn't resonate with him.  We discover that Seagle's first exposure to the Superman comics occurred in a hospital when he was five years old, and discovered his grandma had a rare degenerative and fatal disease, then named Huntington's Chorea.The rest of the book deals with Seagle's examination of what Superman means to him, what the spectre of Huntington's means for his future and his family.

Pride of Baghdad

Writer: Brian K Vaughan
Artist: Nico Henrichon
Letters: Todd Klein
Publisher: Vertigo

What's it about?
In Spring 2003, a pride of lions escaped from the Baghdad zoo during an American bombing raid.  This book tells their story, from the perspective of the animals involved.

There are four lions in the pride.  Zill, the patriarch, Safa, an old lioness who relishes the safety and care provided within the zoo, Noor, a younger lioness with dreams of freedom to be found outside the confines of the zoo, and Ali, Noor's cub.  He is young, eager and enthusiastic about the world.  During the bombing raid the zoo is hit and the lions are forced to leave their home and venture out into the city.  Once out, they discover more about humans, the war and the difficulties surrounding life on their own.

The animals symbolise the innocents involved in this war, and other wars.  The only humans we see are two Iraqi zookeepers, featured briefly at the start of the book, and the American soldiers, again appearing briefly, at the end of the book.