All that Adem Comeaux ever wanted was something to believe in.

When Adem’s Grandfather dies under mysterious circumstances, he returns to his childhood home, the sleepy farming town of Terrance, Louisiana. As Adem struggles with the repercussions of his absence and attempts to heal his relationship with his sister Sam, he discovers that his Grandfather’s cotton farm hides an evil secret that threatens to tear both of their lives apart.

Before he can uncover the truth behind his family’s curse, Adem must decide what he believes in before losing what precious hope he has left.

Eventually, everyone has to face their demons.

I am always excited when I start a book knowing that it is the authors first published book. It is a bit of a gamble though, will I discover a new amazing writer or will I be totally disappointed? The not knowing is the fun part, but coming from such a respected publisher as DarkFuse I had a feeling it would be good.

I was definitely correct in my assumption. “Chorus of Dust” is a good start for Mr. Walters career. The story has very life like believable characters, a great storyline and atmosphere. Though at times the story’s pacing bogged down just a bit for me, it really didn’t take away from the overall tale and is a very impressive debut by Justin.

I especially loved how the story started and how it evolved as I got deeper into the story.

Ray is a writer that writes books about real life murderers. He writes the tales from the killer’s point of view and has made quite a good living doing it. He thought he was retired when he gets an opportunity to tell Adem Comeaux’s tale.

The story starts out in the prison Adem is in and from there Adem proceeds to tell Ray his side of the story. Adem tells Ray the tale of his family farm’s curse, and the death  and destruction it has brought his family. Throughout the story it would shift between Adem telling his tale and Ray and Adem sitting in the prison. I though that Justin handled this particularly well and I never felt he lost control of the story with the shifting back and forth. I especially enjoyed how Justin ended the story, just a really great ending.

I very much look forward to Justin’s second book and highly recommend you give “Chorus Of Dust” a try, you won’t be disappointed.

“Woman in Black”

Air Date: 5/18/2012

This is more like it.

Following last week’s run in with Monroe and bigfoot, Hank wakes up in sweat and terror, quick to draw his gun, putting us all on notice for this now promising show’s finale. Poor dude. While Hank suffers through what he thinks are delusional visions, Nick and Monroe discuss their friend’s fragile mental state and potential psychosis in a rather blasé manner (it’s your best friend and partner for god sake Nick, come clean already). The two are being watched by a mustachioed private investigator type – Nathaniel Adams (Scott Michael Morgan) – who has been following Nick, Monroe, Hank and Captain Sean Renard (Sasha Roiz) for a while, judging by his photograph ridden hotel room. He makes a call and, after seeing the guy as merely a headshot for a few episodes, Akira Kimura (Brian Tee) makes his grand appearance.

Akira is interested in the information that Adams has uncovered. Adams believes that one of them possesses the three gold coins (the coins of Zakynthos that gives its keeper the power to influence others), and loses his life once he’s told Kimura everything. Kimura is a schakal (jackal) too, like the rest of Nick’s parents’ murderers (and, you know, Hitler). Kimura leaves and a Woman in Black (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) enters. She hopes you aren’t mistaking her from someone in the Daniel Radcliffe movie, rolls over Adams’ body, and examines it.

Meanwhile, a witch is a brewin’. Turns out, Adalind (Claire Coffee, too devious to be gone forever), hexenbiest no more, can still make a potion. She mixes milk with some nefarious looking liquid, and then feeds the concoction to her cat, Majique (cute). Later, she pays a visit to Juliette, expressing concern for her sick and sluggish cat. When Juliette examines the cat, Majique lashes out and scratches her hand. She decides to keep the cat overnight for tests. Something tells me the damage is done, and it doesn’t assuage my concerns when the demon kitty’s eyes turn jet black.

Nick and company find Adams’ cameras and equipment. When they download his photos, they finally discover that he was following them. Creepy. Nick assigns squad cars to their houses (they prove to be ineffectual protection, comically so) and tries to contact the Captain to warn him. Too late, as Akira has already taken care of his maid, and knocks him out.

While the mysterious Captain gets interrogated about the location of the coins, Nick returns home to a frisky Juliette. All foreplay stops when Nick notices the bandage on her hand, and when he finds out that Adalind was involved, he tries to get her to the hospital. Juliette refuses unless he tells her the truth, and Nick has to make a decision, the decision we’ve been waiting all season for. David Giuntoli (Nick) delivers some of his best work of the year here, getting a chance to play something else than just the same exasperated, straight lead man.

I’ll refrain from delving any further into the episode and the spoilers therein, but suffice it to say, this episode (along with “Three Coins in a Fuchsbau”) this is probably the strongest hour of the show yet. The Woman in Black is seen flitting around the fringe of the investigation at every turn, and her identity and intentions promise for exciting developments next year. It’s good to know that we haven’t seen the last of Adalind, and a welcome sight to see Rosalee (Bree Turner) again, even for just a moment. While the GRIMM writers pull off a couple feats of misdirection (or false starts) that were frustrating to those who want to see progress, this finale highlights how far the show has come since its inception. GRIMM has embraced its world and gone knee deep into its mythology to the delight of its viewers. Here’s hoping it continues the trend in the fall.

“The Prince of Winterfell”

Air Date: 5/20/12

After perhaps the strongest episode of the season last week, GAME OF THRONES takes a step back in “The Prince of Winterfell.” While all great stuff, this latest episode was all over the place, essentially sprinkling ingredients for the final two climactic episodes of the year (which, judging by the previews, look positively orgasmic). While there were some important developments, fantastic scenes, and some awesome lines (from Yara in particular), this was merely a bridge episode and I wish more had happened. But let’s continue…

Theon’s sister Yara (Gemma Whelan) rides into Winterfell. Expecting congratulations for taking Winterfell, Theon is surprised to receive insults instead. By killing Bran and Rickon he has angered every Northern man in the realm (and every viewer at home), put a massive target on his back, and lost any leverage their lives would’ve offered. Yara wants to bring him back to Pyke and implores him to leave with her, kindly for once. If only. But this is Theon we’re talking about. He loudly refuses.

Ygritte and the wildlings bring Jon Snow to Rattleshirt, the Lord of the Bones, who is set on killing our favorite bastard until Ygritte explains that he’s Ned Stark’s son and perhaps Maynce has use of him. Jon finds himself reunited with Quorin Halfhand (Simon Armstrong) in captivity; they are all that is left of their roving party thanks to his inability to kill a woman. You know nothing, Jon Snow.

Robb and Talisa talk of justice, of Robb’s arranged marriage to one of the Freys (not the best pickup line), and of Ned Stark, whose presence reverberates throughout this episode as if he still had a head. Their reverie is interrupted by a soldier who tells him that the Kingslayer has escaped and Robb’s mother is the one who freed him. Robb returns to camp, incensed that Catelyn would go behind his back to let Jaime go. Catelyn did it for her children, in hopes that she can trade Jaime for her girls in King’s Landing. It’s a foolish decision, even if you understand the motives. Robb is forced to imprison her for her treasonous acts. At least this wasn’t the Mother’s Day episode.

Lord Tywin, with news that King Robb has sent some of his forces to retake Winterfell, decides to march on the Young Wolf. He leaves the Mountain that Rides in charge of Harrenhal, and informs Arya that she’s to remain there as cupbearer. Following this unpleasant news, she runs to find Jaqen H’ghar (Tom Wlaschika) and cash in on her third and final death. Alas, it’s not that easy. The scene between Arya and a man that kills is the highlight of the episode. I sing her praises every week, but Maisie Williams’ Arya is exactly as stubborn, willful, and easy to root for as she is in Martin’s books.

Tyrion, up to his neck in books (literally), prepares for Stannis’ siege. He’s accompanied by dry Bronn, the sellsword turned Commander of the City Watch, who proves that not only is he one of the few men that can trade quips with Tyrion, but that he is knowledgable about war and siege as well. While King Joffrey boasts about the imminent death of Stannis by his hand, Tyrion is the only one concerned for the weak defenses of King’s Landing. Cersei is worried about her son, and occupied with revenge. She has caught Tyrion’s whore, and intends to use her as blackmail (and is way too delighted at the prospect).

There are multitudes of other snippets of subplots throughout, including Brienne and Jaime swapping barbs on their way to King’s Landing, a wonderful scene between Stannis and Ser Davos, a brief glimpse into Qarth, and more. The best stuff comes between Arya and Jaqen, the blossoming, forbidden romance between Talisa and Robb, and a terrific scene between Tyrion and Lord Varys (Conleth Hill rules) discussing the “game” of thrones. But overall, this was all set up and show, like a lot of this season, for the epic Battle of Blackwater that is coming next week. I would be shocked if the next two episodes weren’t the absolute best of this season.

To Eddie Marshall, the idea seemed ridiculous: hitchhike to the mountains of North Carolina to help his lifelong pal haul a truck load of Christmas trees out to Louisiana.

But Mark Rockley had a way of making the ridiculous seem perfectly reasonable. And what did Eddie have to lose anyway? At least up here he could take his mind off crooked managers and bickering band-mates, and the conniving woman he’d left behind.

Had he known what happened to Harold and Maggie on the mountain this morning, he would never have agreed to go up there tonight. Even if there was a patch of trees free for the taking.

If Mark and Eddie had known what waited in the shadow of Rickert’s Peak, they would have stayed far, far away from that place.

Tonight, reason turns to madness, madness gives way to terror.

And bad things happen on… The Mountain.

I have really enjoyed every one of William Ollie’s books so far.  I was pretty excited when he emailed me a Kindle copy of his latest book “The Mountain.” One thing you can always rely on with William’s books is that you are going to get a great story filled with great characters.

I have to say that “The Mountain” exceeded my expectations. I have been reading some dark, disturbing, emotionally taxing books lately and was looking for a change of pace. “The Mountain” was just what I was looking for.

Think “Deliverance”, combined with “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” with a bit of “The Hills Have Eyes” stirred in with the delivery that only William Ollie can provide.

“The Mountain” is brutally violent, with plenty of blood and violence, drug runners, a crooked cop, a corrupt care salesman and an incest deformed mountain family. It was a hell of a lot of fun to read and I enjoyed every second of it.

I can always count on William to provide great characters for his stories. In “The Mountain” the Johnson family that lives on mountain is as sick and depraved as they come. A brood of demented, deformed creatures that treat their own family as bad as they treat their victims.

The story starts out fast and furious with a man planning on murdering his wife on the mountain, making it look like an accident so he can collect the life insurance. Well, that plan didn’t pan out to say the least.

From there the story just continues to get better and better, William continues to notch up the carnage and violence, with enough dead bodies and blood to appease any horror fan. When you finally make it to the end you will say to yourself. “Damn, that was a hell of a ride!”, I know I did.

Thunderstorm Books and William Ollie have a winner on their hands and I highly recommend it.

With a kid on the way, Boyd needed the job bad. But the idea of going underground at the Hobart Mine, down into the dark labyrinth of tunnels to get at the raw ore, left him with a brooding sense of unease. Maybe it was the fact that his father had died down in the mines or maybe it was something much worse.

Digging a new drift down in Level #8, the lowest level of the mine, an immense shaft opens up. Boyd and a few others volunteer to explore it. Some 400 feet down, they find a passage that leads to an immense cavern from prehistory.

A petrified world.

A prehistoric graveyard.

Then a cave-in traps them down there. In the darkness and dank shadows of a fossilized world, they realize they are not alone.

Something has woken in the stone.

Something ancient and terrible and coldly intelligent.

And it is lonely.

Tim Curran’s “Underdwelling” was a very uncomfortable story for me to read. Anyone who follows my reviews  (my heartfelt thanks to you) knows I am claustrophobic and a story about miners trapped underground doesn’t help that fact.

That being said, if the story is not good, does not have good characters, pacing, plot line and atmosphere, it won’t work at all.

But, thankfully with “The Underdwelling” you won’t have to worry about that. It is an exceptional story that got my heart racing, my nerves frazzled and sweat oozing from my pores.

It might seem like a basic premise to a story, a group of miners trapped underground,  it is anything but.

Tim fills the story with a group of great characters that I really enjoyed. The interaction, their fears and their emotions were all believable and lifelike.

The sense of dread, panic and slowly building tension was very well done. A few times I had to put the book down for a few minutes, I was that uncomfortable.

I especially liked how Tim slowly revealed what was down there with them. No spoilers from me, read the book. I especially liked the ending.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed “The Underdwelling”, even though I felt at times that I was trapped down there with them, which is not a good feeling.

If you are at all claustrophobic you might just want to stay away from this book as it will definitely affect you and I highly recommend it.

“Brave New World, Part 2”

Air Date: 5/11/12

If you haven’t watched last week’s FRINGE, “Brave New World: Part One,” then go do so now, unless you want MEGA SPOILERS. However, I promise not to ruin any of the massive twists and turns of this week’s “Brave New World: Part Two,” so you’re safe to sit back, grab some red licorice, and ruminate with me about this divided, mixed, and ultimately classic season of FRINGE.

Last week, Walter’s convictions that William Bell (the venerable Leonard Nimoy) was alive and behind David Robert Jones’ machinations turned out to be true. Unfortunately, his mission led to the shot heard round both universes, with Astrid crumpling to the ground from a bullet wound. The stunned silence and emotional punch which that moment produced in me caused me to leave common sense behind. Even though dead doesn’t mean dead on FRINGE (plus there’s two of almost everyone to begin with), you can breathe easy, Astrid is not dead. She’s hurt and in the hospital, but she is stable and grounded for the final (or is it?) showdown with William Bell.

Belly is back, and we open on the new world he hopes to create, a land of brilliant light replete with dinosaurs and his lab creatures. He’s showing Walter what can be, in an attempt to convince him of his plan. The plan to collapse both universes and create their own, to play God and to achieve their destiny. These two old friends are aboard Bell’s ark, shepherding them to the dawn of a new age.

Peter and Olivia return to Walter’s lab, which is empty. They discuss the events from the night before, when Olivia supernaturally controlled Peter in his fight with David Robert Jones. Olivia wonders why she can do these things now, why her powers have suddenly been activated. Before they can worry, Jessica (LOST’s Rebecca Mader) calls Olivia, worried that she’s been followed since Olivia saved her life in last week’s episode. As she makes her call, September, our favorite Observer (the brilliant Michael Cerveris), watches on. Only, he seems to be stuck on some wacky signal on the floor.

Peter and Olivia arrive to find no sign of Jessica, but they do come across an octagonal shape cut out of the floor (where September was). Then, they get the call that Astrid is in the hospital and rush over there. Astrid relays what she knows, and they return to the mostly abandoned warehouse, where they find Jessica and the Observer, but discover that the situation is not as they expected.

Walter learns who inspired Bell’s divine plan, linking us all the way back to the first season. We learn why Olivia’s been “activated” and there are a few big twists (and a gun shot that makes Astrid’s recent mishap look like a skinned knee). There are many other connections to previous episodes (most notably, the awesome “Letters of Transit”) and the events that transpire obviously profoundly shape the fifth season of FRINGE. Still, something seemed off about this episode. I think that overall, the FRINGE team thought that “Brave New World” was going to be the end of the show. Now, with the news of a 5^th season in the offing, the perception of this final episode has shifted and definitely changed the very end. It all felt too easy, which, I suppose, could be a perfect set up for what’s to come. All in all though, I would have been much more psyched if “Letters of Transit” had been the finale. That said, “Brave New World” does nothing to stifle my excitement for the final thirteen episodes.

“A Land Without Magic”

Air Date: 5/13/12

After a clunky beginning (with a couple stinkers inbetween), ONCE UPON A TIME has cemented itself as a Sunday night staple on ABC. It’s an hour of whimsy and fun, filled with heart and (Prince) charm(ing), sometimes painfully so. The show takes risks with classic characters and stories, some of which don’t always work, but has also made it dark enough to delight a broader spectrum of viewers. Last night it all came together in what is easily the best hour of the show, and I do mean that as a compliment. I’ve been up and down all year, and found it hard to take OUAT seriously at times, but everything the show’s been building up to pays off and then some in “A Land Without Magic.”

Prince Charming makes an escape on the way to his execution, with the help of the Huntsman (Jamie Dornan, making a return from the dead). And thus, the race is on to save Snow! The Evil Queen is furious that the Huntsman and her guards allowed the Prince to escape, and the Huntsman vows to capture him (despite his true intentions). That’s the last we see of the Huntsman in the only real dangling plotline in the episode. The Huntsman was a fan favorite before his abrupt death on the Storybrooke side of things, so perhaps OUAT writers are merely hinting at a return next season.

In Storybrooke, David confronts Mary Margaret with his feelings. He’s screwed up (like a metronome, really) but loves her. He’s going to Boston unless Mary Margaret gives him a reason to stay. Ladies love ultimatums, right? [Sidenote: While I can get behind Prince Charming and Snow White's "true love," I don't buy for a second that Mary Margaret would continue to have fondness for David, who's proven not so charming on the other side]

Anyways, Henry has been taken to the hospital, where Dr. Whale has no idea what is wrong with the boy (maybe David Anders is befuddled as to why he doesn’t get an origin story). Emma insists that it must be something in the apple turnover Regina made, but Dr. Whale didn’t find anything. It’s almost as if, it’s magic. Ding ding ding. Emma opens up Henry’s book, and everything clicks, and amazingly vivid memories of infancy flash before her eyes. She believes. Within seconds, she accosts Regina and throws her about a hospital room. But, the thought of Henry’s death leads them to form an unlikely alliance to try and save him, one of the better moves and switcheroos in the episode. Their attention is then turned to Mr. Gold. Turns out, Rumpelstiltskin has kept some magic at hand for a rainy day.

Speaking of Rumpel, the evil magician joins Prince Charming in the infinite forest, with a desire to help PC find Snow White. The Prince doesn’t want his version of help, so they fight and bandy about the wood like a bad HERCULES ep. After Rumpelstiltskin establishes his dominance, he goes all Wayne Brady and tries to make a deal. He’ll give Charming his mother’s ring, now enchanted to grow brighter as Snow grows nearer, if he can hide his vial of true love potion in the belly of the beast for safekeeping…

…The very belly of the beast that Regina and Emma must go into to retrieve this golden egg filled with true love in Storybrooke. The two converging sides of the story in dueling worlds has always been one of the trademarks of OUAT, and this is one of the better and more effective examples thus far. I won’t spoil what beast it is, and the alter ego of said beast, but it’s cooler than I expected, and I hope that they both return next year.

While both battle the beast, the only other storyline involves Jefferson the Mad Hatter (Sebastian Stan). He wants his kid back like Regina promised. He still doesn’t get that Regina doesn’t really uphold her ends of bargains (she’s a villain after all), so Jefferson goes to the hospital to find someone hidden in the depths to help his cause, bringing another guest star back into the equation. While definitely thrown in, the addition of Jefferson and his freed prisoner to the main cast would add a needed new dimension to the cast on the Storybrooke side of things.

Emma’s transformation from reluctant hero to believer is a fast one, but for the most part it works, and Prince’s quest to save Snow White and Emma’s quest to save Henry (but will she break the curse?!) headline the finale. By the end, monumental changes occur, deaths happen (or don’t happen) and I’m not going to lie, I’m more than a little curious where OUAT picks up the pieces next year. It’s impossible to discuss Season 2 possibilities without ruining last night’s game changer, but suffice to say, we’ll be looking at a different show in September, something I’m very much looking forward to seeing.

“A Man Without Honor”

Air Date: 5/13/2012

Last night’s episode, “A Man Without Honor,” could refer to any number of characters. Hell, practically every character not named Stark, as it becomes more and more evident how awful Westeros and the realm beyond it really is. And we haven’t even met the Bastard of Dreadfort yet. Thankfully, the title refers to Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), who has unfortunately taken a backseat and really been a forgotten man up to this point in season 2, but that all changes with this episode, and perhaps it’s not a coincidence that this was the best all-around episode of the year thus far.

Theon wakes up to discover that Osha, Bran, Rickon and Hodor have escaped, in no small part due to his copulation with the wildling the previous night. He takes out his frustration on one of his men, and thus continues the Sad, Angry Ballad of Theon, in his quest to piss off and make everybody hate him. Theon and his men go off to try and find the escaped heirs to Winterfell. If Rodrik still had a head, this would’ve been the time to take back the castle.

Beyond the wall, Jon Snow wakes up with his, ahem, soldier, at watch, if you get my drift. Ygritte isn’t oblivious to it, and has a point when she realizes why crows are always so miserable (because they can’t lay with a woman). She finds out that Jon has never been with a woman and spends the rest of the episode mercilessly toying and flirting with him in an attempt to bed him, or escape, or both (Rose Leslie is wonderfully entertaining and in a sea of awesome accents, hers stands out). By the end of the episode, we learn her objectives, and get to hear the first uttering of her immortal line.

At the accursed Harrenhal, Arya serves Lord Tywin mutton. The meal itself is unimportant, but it’s a sentence I couldn’t resist typing. Tywin forgoes the mutton (he’s not a fan) and lets Arya eat in his company, where he gives her a history lesson and details how Harrenhal became ruined remains and a stain on the realm. Arya surprises Tywin with her breadth of study, and whether he actually buys her act as low born or not, it’s clear the head of the Lannister family is tickled pink by his cupbearer. The stellar scenes between Charles Dance and Maisie Williams (“most girls are idiots”) have become my favorites of the show, even if they don’t really have a ton of implications in the overarching storyline to this point. Regardless, Tywin questioning his legacy in front of one of the heirs of one of his biggest enemies unknowingly is great stuff.

Xaro Xhaon Daxos remains a “humble” servant of Daenerys, trying to help her retrieve her dragons which were stolen from her at the end of last week’s episode. Dany, thankfully, rebuffs him and his intentions once again. When Ser Jorah returns to her plight, there’s a fantastic scene between them about trust and their realm, which has all kinds of subtext (it doesn’t hurt to hear Iain Glen’s awesome voice neither). Dany has learned not to trust anyone, but she must have trust to retake Westeros as Jorah says, yet the man doesn’t want her to trust anyone save himself. Right or wrong, he has selfish reasons, and it’s clear that the Mother of Dragons still has some growing up to do. We soon learn who’s responsible for stealing the dragons and the slick scene that follows is my favorite one that’s taken place in Qarth, and slightly assuages my concern that Dany’s arching story will be as plodding as it is in Martin’s novels. I understand the trials that Dany must go through, but there’s many times where she seems more like a sideshow where Martin must use delay tactics before she can become an integral part of the narrative. It helps that Emilia Clarke continues to be enchanting as the last remaining Targaryen.

At Robb’s camp, our Young Wolf finds it pretty easy to get over Theon’s betrayal whenever he talks with Lady Talisa (played by Oona Chaplin, who yes, is related to Charlie). She needs medical supplies, so Robb invites her with him to the Crag to retrieve some (and perhaps repair his broken heart). Once he’s left camp, trouble brews, due to the new inmate sharing Jaime’s cage with him. Robb sent Alton Lannister there while more tents are made. His appearance in Jaime’s cage brings an interesting dynamic and with it a couple wonderful scenes that get in Jaime’s head more than we’ve seen to this point and forces Lady Catelyn to make a decision about the Kingslayer. When Jaime questions Ned’s honor, it’s great stuff.

The last subplot, aside from a brilliant and much different scene between Cersei and Tyrion than we’re used to seeing, involves Sansa. Fresh from her nightmarish near-rape and a chilling encounter with her savior, the Dog (Rory McCann), Sansa endures her first moonblood. Never a fun experience for any girl, but for Sansa, it signals that she’s now able to provide children to King Joffrey. If you don’t undersand how mind-blowingly terrifying that is, you haven’t watched GAME OF THRONES. And that, my friends, would be a silly mistake to make. With three episodes to go, GAME OF THRONES has successfully brought everything to the foreground, cast its characters note perfectly (though we’ll see if Alfie Allen can play the other shades of Theon) and set us up for three gangbuster episodes to close out its sophomore season. Now we’ll be able to see how  HBO and its creators can shoot an action scene or two.

“Big Feet”

Air Date: 5/11/12

In the penultimate episode of GRIMM’s debut season, I was prepared to be disappointed, expecting nothing to really change or happen, and it’d all merely be set up for the next episode, a problem many second to last episodes have. And while, yes, nothing seismic shifts within the show’s template and character structure this week, by the end, we know there will be change coming, change that will profoundly affect next season. Along the way, we also get a few new Wesen terms to add to the wiki, and a new Wesen to include in the Pokedex, widening the scope of the show’s universe slightly, all of which make this week’s case one of the more interesting of the season.

In an episode entitled “Big Feet” it should surprise no one that the action begins in the forest, where three young people, two guys and a gal, are filming each other while trying to hunt Bigfoot. They think they’re close, and one of the friends mimics a call to attract a Bigfoot, which merely sounded like a wolf howl to me. But whatever it is, it works, and Sasquatch comes, as the growling and screams of horror and shaky camera work attest, leaving a few dead bodies.

Juliette receives a call from an old man who lives nearby, who shot a creature who attacked his horse. Being a veterinarian and all, Juliette darts over to look over the injured animal. The horse had a gash on its neck and claw marks indicative of some monstrous beast, yet had tracks that looked very human when Juliette and the old man turn into trackers. They stumble upon the dead bodies and call Nick lickety split and soon the force is poring over the crime scene. Before they can make any conjectures as to what did it, the girl from the beginning, bloody and terrified, appears, crying Bigfoot, and putting the force on lockdown lest the press gets a hold of the story. Wu finds the camera which, of course, still works, and replays back a man in a red plaid shirt throwing about these young men with brute force.

Bringing it all together, Munroe’s woken up from his Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire induced nap to Bigfoot himself breaking into his house. He’s Blutbaden’d up and prepared to tussle until he realizes Bigfoot is Larry, a friend and fellow member of Munroe’s support group. Larry’s been shot, and can’t “retract” from his Wesen form (a Wildermann). After watching the news, where of course, the “bigfoot” attack has been leaked, Munroe calls Nick, and all of our characters are successfully embroiled in this investigation.  Juliette doesn’t trust what she hears from Nick or anybody, and tests the DNA she lifted from the crime scene before the cops arrive. Hank questions his sanity by what he sees, and Nick tries to keep his secret safe as well as not implicate Munroe in the process. The investigation brings in therapist Konstantin Brinkerhoff (DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES’ Roger Bart) who’s been helping the Wildermann of the town to repress their uncontrollable urges, to disastrous results.

I’d been waiting for a case that brought everyone involved and actually made sense, and while there are still moments when I wonder why no one ever questions Munroe’s random appearances and hate the quick fix implemented to repel any long lasting reverberations of the events of the episode, this was a solid hour of TV. Nick’s secret is insecure and crumbling and I can’t wait for the day when Munroe and Hank have to work together on a case and/or when Juliette rips into Nick for lying to her. Luckily for us, that day may be next Friday. The more conflict we get between Nick’s inner circle, the better, because while David Giuntoli’s a likable actor, Nick remains a fairly flat and standard protagonist to this point.

Okay, monster kids. You may not frequent a comic shop, but here are five good reasons that you should go out of your way, take the scenic route to a store, and buy this issue.

1. It is, simply put, a gorgeous book. The weight of the paper feels good in your hands. The text begs for repeated readings. The black and white spreads will take you back to times when a grey film palate was the pinnacle of imagination and wonder. In fact, if you buy the issue digitally, you are doing yourself a disservice.

2. Steve Niles. He is king of the comic monsters, and if anyone knows Frankenstein, it’s Niles. He’s created a smorgasbord of awesomely horrific properties. Niles is also a true punk rock champion of creators and artists. He set up a donation pool for Gary Friedrich when the man’s creation rights to Ghost Rider were challenged. He drove a comic-industry-focused internet shootout against SOPA to protest censorship. And here, Niles delivers on all fronts, stretching the Frankenstein story into an existential epic and simultaneously keeping pace in his sentence structure. Opening the story with the monster making a living by doing carnival show appearances is both melancholy and somehow humorous.

3. Bernie Wrightson. What’s to say? He is an artistic legend. He jam-packed the original CREEPY and EERIE magazines with artwork that was, well, truly creepy and eerie. He wrote stories to support early editions of HEAVY METAL—one of which, “Captain Sternn”, was adapted for the now cult classic film. He illustrated Mary Shelley’s original FRANKENSTEIN in 1983 to widespread literary acclaim, of which ALIVE, ALIVE #1 is an organic continuation. And Wrightson really outdoes himself here. The textures of his snowflakes, curtains, and wooden beams are almost tangible. The backgrounds are Gustave Doré-esque in their sheer scope.

4. FRANKENSTEIN ALIVE, ALIVE gives the most respect to the Frankenstein monster we’ve seen since Wrightson’s own illustrated version—and before that, the Universal black and white films of the 1930s. Gone is the typical perception of the lumbering bolt-monster (“That ain’t Frankstein! He’s s’posed to have a flat head!” yells a carnival goer). In its place is a tragic, elegant figure who truly earns your sympathies.

5. Issue #1 is packed with back pages of bonus materials, in the midst of which Niles and Wrightson give a shoutout to FM and our honorary editor Forry as influences on their creations! IDW also provides a reprint of the opening pages from Shelley’s original FRANKENSTEIN text. It’s like getting two books in one, and it helps this new series feel not so much like a sequel, but a worthy homage to a great monster character.

FRANKSTEIN ALIVE, ALIVE #1 is available at your local comic book store.

Also released today: Avatar’s FERALS #5, continuing David Lapham’s bloody werewolf epic; Image’s FATALE #5, supernatural noir at its finest; Dark Horse Comics’ ALABASTER: WOLVES #2, pitting albino Dancy Flammarion against lupine adversaries; DC’s BATMAN #9, boasting more horrific owl-generated mayhem; and Vertigo’s MYSTERY IN SPACE, a double-page-length compilation of epic Sci Fi goodness.