Close to Death by Anthony Horowitz Review

A “neighbour from hell” is murdered via crossbow in a posh London suburb. But when all of his neighbours hated him, whodunit? Hawthorne investigates - this time, from the past!

Esc & Ctrl by Steve Hollyman Review

In 2012, someone broke into Steve Hollyman’s flat and stole a manuscript he was working on. 9 years later, a mysterious academic called Ike A. Mafar contacts Steve to say he’s come into possession of his lost book - except someone has added pages to it. Someone with intimate knowledge of Steve’s life - but who? Steve and Ike go through the manuscript looking for clues to try and find out.

Thor: Vikings Review (Garth Ennis, Glenn Fabry)

Undead vikings invade Manhattan - Thor (and Doctor Strange) to the rescue!

Garth Ennis made a rare foray into superhero comics with his Preacher artist Glenn Fabry in this relatively-unknown 2003 Thor comic (when he does write for Marvel, he tends to write “street-level” characters like The Punisher and Nick Fury and ignore/slight the more colourful superheroes - this is the man who also wrote The Boys after all!). Unfortunately, I can see why this book is out-of-print and largely forgotten as it’s quite poor.

The Amazing Spider-Man, Volume 8: Spider Man's First Hunt Review (Zeb Wells, Patrick Gleason)

Queen Goblin gives Kraven a magic spear to turn Norman Osborn gobbly again - but not if Spider-Man can stop him! Also, Bizarro Spidey Rek-Rap returns to solve a case about a debt collector after Randy Robertson - but not if Spider-Man can buh buh…!

Prison Pit: The Complete Collection by Johnny Ryan Review

Aboard a prison spaceship, a prisoner is thrown into a pit (that’s basically a portal to another world) and must survive in a harsh landscape filled with killers. Insane amounts of gore and violence ensue!

Barefoot Gen, Volume One: A Cartoon Story of Hiroshima by Keiji Nakazawa Review

Barefoot Gen is both a fictional and autobiographical manga about life before, during and after the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Fictional in the sense that Gen and his family are made-up and autobiographical in that the author, Keiji Nakazawa, was 6 years old at the time of the bomb and actually lived in Hiroshima throughout the experience, much of which he includes in this book.

James Bond: Agent of SPECTRE Review (Christos Gage, Luca Casalanguida)

There’s civil war within SPECTRE and Blofeld enlists the help of Bond, Jamesh Bond, to help him defeat his rival Titania (teehee) Jones. Bond and Blofeld on the same side? I can’t believe it’s not butter!

The Bone Orchard Mythos: Tenement Review (Jeff Lemire, Andrea Sorrentino)

7. Weird stuff starts happening to 7 people in an apartment building. 7 is a number you will see often in this book because 7 is important (not really). One of the 7 dies, leaving behind a key - but to a door to where? One thing’s for sure: 7 will be involved! Or will it…? 7.

Letters To A Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke Review

Over the course of ten letters from February 1903 to December 1908, Austrian poet Rainer Maria Rilke gave artistic advice to a younger chap from a similar background who was aspiring to follow in his (only slightly older) footsteps. After Rilke died in 1926, Franz Xaver Kappus, the young poet of the title, collected and published them to share the good advice and insight into Rilke’s life with everyone.

BRZRKR, Volume 3 Review (Keanu Reeves, Matt Kindt)

Keanu’s back from space or somewhere and talking psychically with a doctor who shoots ink from her eyes. Why? Cos he wants to grow a giant red metal bird from his chest. I know, THAT old chestnut again! Let’s get stoopid one last time with John Thicko, Kindter Surprise and Garney the Dinosaur in RTRDD, Volume 3.

I Must Be Dreaming by Roz Chast Review

There are few things more tedious than listening to someone who begins a sentence with “I had a weird dream last night…” so imagine how unutterably dull an entire book of that drivel would be to read. Well, I must be dreaming myself because someone actually published that horrendous idea for a book and it’s by New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast!

The Easter Parade by Richard Yates Review

This is the story of Emily Grimes, from her childhood in the 1930s to her late ‘40s in the 1970s, and the people in her life: her older sister Sarah, her mother Esther or “Pookie”, and her father Walter, as well as the numerous men she has relationships with.

The Last Mermaid #1 by Derek Kirk Kim Review

Contained within a mech suit/car filled with water, a mermaid and her pet fish roam the… San Francisco desert?! Not an ideal place to be stranded then when you need to refresh your mech suit/car’s water before the toxicity levels kills ya. The race is on for the mermaid to find water in a place filled with sand!

The Incredible Hulk, Volume 1: Age of Monsters Review (Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Nic Klein)

Hulk and Banner are back on Earth but Hulk is mad at Banner for having mentally locked him up for so long. And if there’s one thing you wouldn’t like Hulk to be, it’s… y’know. Meanwhile, an ancient evil is resurrected and with it awakens a new Age of Monsters. Their sights are set on the biggest monster of all: yo mama! Hulk.