For the last three years, I’ve had the privilege to bring you some of the best in comics. Graphic novels, pamphlets, prose books, short films, interviews, commentary… you’ve seen them all in this space. It’s been a comfortable environment to work in, but the time has come for me to take a final bow and make an exit. Always best to leave the stage before they extend the hook and drag you off, you know?

I’d like to take a moment to offer some thanks. First, thanks to former EIC Chris Ryall for bringing me onboard. I’d had the privilege of working with Chris at Comic Book Galaxy before he became the helmer at The Shoot, but nothing could have prepared me for how tremendous he was going to be here. To my dying day, I’ll never have anything but brilliant things to say about Chris. I’d also like to say thanks to former second-in-command Scott Tipton. Not only is Scott a good guy, he’s a funny, talented writer. Scott wrote most of the news headlines you’ve seen over the years. Those times you’ve snorted milk out of your nose while reading the front page of this site? All Scott. Thanks also go to Ming Chen, the techno-genius behind The Shoot. Ming is a talented, hard-working fellow, and he deserves more accolades than you can imagine. What a pro. And of course, thanks are due to our beloved owner, Kevin Smith. Many siteowners spend their time lording it over every single thing that happens in their domain, but Kevin has stepped back and let his writers do what they do best. That’s what’s made this site one of the best on the net. That’s also why I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.

Finally, I’d like to thank the readers. To those hordes of people who’ve read the column every week, you have my eternal gratitude. The e-mails, the contest entrants… what a joy you all made it to write this column. Give yourselves a round of applause.

The Shoot is becoming Quick Stop Entertainment, and I expect it to be amazing. I know I’ll still be reading it every day. And while the invitation to be a part of it has been extended to me, this just seems like the right time to try something different and get out of my comfort zone. So as you bookmark Quick Stop Entertainment, please do me a favor: bookmark The NEW Comics Waiting Room, too. That’s right: you’ve seen the blog with that name running at the bottom of SIBAM every week, but with the domain now in hand, it’ll be a regular website starting in early June. I hope you all come along and check it out. In the meantime, I’ll still be posting reviews and commentary at the Comics Waiting Room Classic Site.

But lest this get too maudlin, four more books for your reading pleasure. Grab a drink, light a smoke; it ain’t over just yet.

TALENT #1
Written by Christopher Golden and Tom Sniegoski and Drawn by Paul Azaceta
Published by Boom Studios

A plane crashes in the ocean. Twelve hours later, divers find the plane beneath the waves, completely submerged. So exactly how is it that Nicholas Dane wakes up in his seat as the rescuers arrive? And why can he suddenly remember the lives of the other passengers and utilize their skills? That’s the premise of TALENT, and as you can imagine, it’s a pretty ripe one. And while the conspiracy that sets itself upon Dane’s heels is a bit stale, this is still a rousing concept.

Of course, no one quite wants to believe that Dane is a miracle, so his life is called into question by Homeland Security, and others won’t suffer him to live. That makes TALENT an interesting combination of THE FUGITIVE and JOHN DOE. Combining intrigue and action, this is a pretty decent thriller. Unfortunately, the script doesn’t match up to the premise; the dialogue is kind of still and lifeless, doing little besides moving the plot forward. Nicholas comes off as a cipher, which plays well when it comes to his channeling of the others, but I’d like to see more of who he is as a man, too.

Balancing that out, though, is the terrific art by Azaceta. TALENT is dark, moody, and steady; this might be the best looking book Boom has put out to date. Put together the strong concept and the art, and TALENT becomes a top-of-the-stack read. I’ll be interested to see what sort of corrections crop up along the way as far as the characters go, but there’s no question this has unlimited potential. As always, that’s a blessing and a curse.

SIBAM?

Umm… yeah. This practically screams, “Option me!” Think back to the comparison to THE FUGITIVE; TALENT smells like a popcorn seller. You could digitally superimpose the dead character on to Nicholas as he accesses their skills and memories, and it wouldn’t be too expensive. Put someone like Josh Lucas on screen as Dane, and this finds box office success.

THE LAST CHRISTMAS #1
Written by Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn and Drawn by Rick Remender
Published by Image Comics

The apocalypse has arrived and mutants are overrunning the Earth. The last vestiges of humanity still celebrate Christmas, though, so Santa and the elves are still somewhat in business. However, when the bad guys reach the North Pole and wreak havoc, Santa calls it quits. That’s the premise of this odd, warped comedy. Nothing quite like watching the immortal Santa spending page after page attempting suicide in the hopes of joining his wife on the other side. Still, if you have a twisted, psychotic story to tell, you can’t go wrong by bringing in Rick Remender to draw it. The larger story being told really doesn’t develop much through this issue, though, but there are some nicely amusing bits to tide you over. To be honest, I think I was expecting more than what the book delivered, but that’s on me, I suppose.

LOADED BIBLE: JESUS VS. VAMPIRES
Written by Tim Seeley and Drawn by Nate Bellgarde
Published by Image Comics

Another post-apocalypse book, Seeley’s nifty bit of blasphemy finds the Christian savior risen again, and battling to keep the last vestiges of humanity safe from the bloodsuckers who have become Earth’s dominant species. As the book’s back cover asks: “What would Jesus do? He’d kick vampire ass.” LOADED BIBLE surprises, not with its concept, buy by the fact that Seeley takes his story very fucking seriously. There’s action a-plenty, a conspiracy, some sexy vampires, but there’s one thing missing: fun. The back cover blurb is the only thing about the book that makes you crack a smile. With an idea like this, I think you have to nod a bit towards the absurdity of it all, but it never happens. Still, the story holds together on its own merits, and I was entertained by the book, so we’ll call it a win.

BLACK HARVEST #4-5
Written and Drawn by Josh Howard
Published by Devil’s Due

Josh Howard, who has notoriously been very slow about revealing the pieces of his mysteries, finally seems to have found the correct formula with this series. Zaya, having returned from being missing for three years, finds herself in a position to learn the truth about her and the strange powers she’s been revealing while under duress. In the meantime, reporter Daniel Webster is led to the beginnings of the dark truth about the town of Jericho. There’s a sense of motion at work here that suggests that Howard has locked in to exactly how he wants to proceed to his climax. That’s important, not only in keeping the reader interested, but also because Howard has worked exclusively with four-issue miniseries prior to this one. The difference in pacing for four versus six issues is enormous, and it represented a huge opportunity for Josh to pull a face plant. Instead, BLACK HARVEST is looking like his best work to date. Can’t ask for more than that.

That’s it. Again, please bookmark The NEW Comics Waiting Room and keep checking back in June. Keep reading the Classic Version. And, please stick around and check out Quick Stop Entertainment, which promises to be terrific. Thanks again to all of you for three great years.

It’s closing time. You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here…

Review materials may be sent to: Marc Mason, P.O. Box 26732, Tempe, AZ 85285. You can also find me at Happy Nonsense and The Comics Waiting Room

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