In City of Iron we are introduced to three covert C.I.A. agents who have been assigned to a unit with an unusual task.  They are to investigate paranormal occurrences and objectively study them to see if they are real.  If they are not real, they have to somehow expose the trickery without blowing their cover.  If the paranormal occurrences can’t be scientifically explained, they are to simply report back to their superior and take on a new assignment.  Unfortunately for the unit, all their cases are in the United States which is against the C.I.A.’s charter, so the F.B.I. has taken an interest and has been trying to shadow them to discover what they are up to.

Their first cases involve the deaths of 11 men in a mountain lodge who may have been many hundreds of years old, and a physic who reads hidden messages.  The physic case proves easy for them to debunk, but when investigating the ages of those men in the lodge, all the evidence proves that they were in fact that old.  As it turns out, this case is the first link in a series of baffling paranormal occurrences they are assigned to investigate.  And all of them are connected to a being who may be either Jesus Christ (or one of his relations) or the Anti-Christ.

Complicating their investigation is: a former lover of the leader of the unit who is looking for revenge; their boss who may not be telling them entire truth behind their work; and the being itself who has the mental power to influence others and at least one member of their unit.

As he has done so in the past, Williamson has blessed City of  Iron with characters that are so well drawn readers can’t help but identify with them.  Laika, a black woman and the leader of the unit is portrayed as a woman who, while smart as hell and dangerous as any assassin you could imagine, is still a victim of domestic violence from an abusing lover.  Joseph is a fairly unassuming Jewish man who is the skeptic in the group, however his skepticism may be hiding the fact that he is searching for a deeper meaning in life.  And Tony is a stereotypical Italian man who is an excellent ‘breaking and entering’ expert who is just as skilled at killing, but his gruff exterior masks a man who is weary and lonely.  These three main characters are a joy to follow as we see them in action and watch their camaraderie grow.

The plot unfolds in a deliberate but well paced manner and the actions scenes are exciting as they are entertaining.

The only quibble some readers may have with the novel is that it ends suddenly without resolution.  Interested readers have no choice but to purchase the next two installments to discover the answer to the mystery.  In this reviewer’s case, it wasn’t an issue at all, I have already purchased the next two installments and I look forward to reading Williamson’s plotting to the end.

Top Five Picks…Buy These Right Now.

1. Popeye 1 (IDW).

2. Vampirella 16 (Dynamite).

3. Grimm Fairy Tales 72 (Zenescope).

4. Road Rage 3 (IDW).

5. Hellblazer 290 (Vertigo).

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Holy shit, folks, I’m late. Can you believe that? And after I just bragged about getting so much writing done here a while back. I have a long list of excuses, but let’s just set them aside and jump right into another (belated) delightful edition of Nightmares Illustrated, the column for horror comics readers (not collectors).

Speaking of which, just a quick note that the #1 “Buy These Right Now” is not a typo. Popeye #1 (IDW) is fantastic, filled with deep weirdness and (perhaps unintentionally) disturbing images. It is a big, pleasant surprise. I’ll take one of those whenever I can get it.

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OMAC 8 (DC). The first dead series from DC’s NFT have washed up on the shores. Among them is a book I actually liked through the first five issues or so: OMAC. Having been disappointed with the last couple of issues, I have been hoping that Dan DiDio and team would come up with something smashing for the final installment.

I do like it. Nice layout, a lot is explained, but there is way too much exposition. You know, now that I think of it, exposition is beginning to plague comics in the last year or so. Ironic, isn’t it? According to the press release about the series being cancelled, OMAC will show up in other books. The way issue eight ends sets that up very nicely. But I won’t be looking for the character. Instead, I’ll just read issues 1-5 and 8 whenever I want an OMAC fix.

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Vampirella Masters Series Volume 7 Pantha (Dynamite). I am over the moon (yep, I said “over the moon”) about Dynamite’s Vampirella Masters Series. Each book is a thematic collection of Vampirella stories from the recent past (distinct in that way from their Vampirella Archives series). Now, I would have preferred a chronological and complete collection series because I am such a big fan of the character, but these books so far have been delightful and, even if they are not my perfect image of Vampirella collections, they are still all good.

Volume 7 features all of artist Mark Texeira’s work on Pantha stories, and it is something to behold. Pantha, by the way, is a were-panther who occasionally bedevils Vampirella. The art is almost all painting, and is uniformly beautiful to look at. The writing is a little uneven, but there are not any complete duds in the group. You can just look at the panels without reading the stories and still be mesmerized.

I hope Dynamite keeps them coming at the high quality it has maintained in the series so far. Highly recommended.

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Buy These Too…

Incredible Hulk 7 (Marvel). The Hulk succeeds in killing Banner and immediately regrets it. If you believe Banner is actually dead, then you haven’t been reading comics for very long. The issue is better than I thought it would be. I am a little perked up on this book now after a long, slow slide.

Resurrection Man 8 (DC). Necromancy. Do I need to write anything more? If you haven’t been reading Resurrection Man, take a look at this issue. The only thing that bothers me (read: pisses me off) is the arc is continued in a different book – Suicide Squad. That is very annoying.

Hitman Volume 6 (DC). A re-collecting series of the Garth Ennis book is underway. Volume 6 is penultimate. If you like Hitman (I do), this new series of trade paperbacks grabs every issue in just seven volumes. If you don’t already have them, this is a good way to go.

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Bargain Bin…

This is a new section dedicated to comics and graphic novels I have found in the clearance boxes that are worth your time to look for. So much comes out every week it is hard to keep track of it all in real time. Some of it slips through the synapses when the electricity isn’t firing. You’ll find a few of the good ones that I somehow missed or didn’t have time for the first time around here.

Jack the Lantern: War of the Soul (Castle Rain, 2010). The story picks up without explanation or even preamble. As a result, I had no idea what was going on. That is a hazard of buying a mid-series number from the clearance box. No matter what came before or what after, this book is fantastic. The fine black and white artwork by Mark Kidwell (with some inking by Tony Bledsoe) is beautiful to look at even if you don’t read any of the text. Particularly the non-humans. The story, a frantic little affair by Michael Angelos, does not fulfill its promise, but, you know, again, it is hard to say what the hell is going on. There is a complicated mythology at work, and quite a bit of, “What the hell is that?!” and “That wasn’t their [sic] before,” which doesn’t help much, either. Even so, at $0.25 in the bin, it is definitely worth looking over.

The Filth (Vertigo, 2002). What a find this is: a Grant Morrison maxi-series I had missed completely. How does something like that even happen? It is a bizarre, psychedelic tale that rolls on for 317 astonishing pages. What’s it about? Ah, let me see. The main character has a continuing identity crisis brought on intentionally by a government agency that … takes out the trash. Metaphorically speaking. Or maybe literally. Sometimes it seems fairly literal. There is plenty of debauchery, sex, violence, and, well, filth. The elegant line work of Chris Weston is brought to life by inker Gary Erskine and the careful coloring job of “Hifi” and Matt Hollingsworth. I couldn’t be happier with my $2 purchase – I have already read it twice. It is a keeper.

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Editor A.J. French has collected twenty-nine based on the writings of H.P. Lovecraft but specializing on the unknown aspects of Mythos fiction. The vast majority of stories here are really solid, delivering both frights and a good sense mystery. Yes there are a few tales here that fall flat, that’s usually the case for most collections, but thankfully such clunkers are in the great minority. The best thing about SHADOW is the number of unadulterated great stories found within this book’s covers. Those brightest stars shinning in the cold depths of space are far worth the price of the book to get, add to them a whole host of very fine tales, and you get one hell of a book that every Cthulhuhead should have in his, her, or its library. In fact, there’s so many good stories here that I can’t cover them all without this review getting ridiculously long, so here are some of my favorites that I felt required special attention.

I’ve heard the name, Ran Cartwright, for a while now, but I have only just become familiar with his work somewhat recently, and every one of his stories that I’ve read so far I’ve thoroughly enjoyed. His story here, “Azathoth Awakening” continues that wining trend. It is the last story in the anthology and a great way to end a very good book. It deserves that place handily and might just be the winner of my oh-so coveted Best of the Book Award ™.

Another winner is the story that’s the second to last tale in the anthology, thus proving that editor French wisely intended to end his book with a bang. It’s “Antarktos Unbound” by Glynn Barrass. Mr. Barrass blends dark sci-fi with horror masterfully in this story of a group of people navigating a hostile waterway and discovering a truly alien city. Just how alien, I’ll leave for you to discover on your own as to ruin any of the surprised here would be unforgivable.

Nathalie Boisard-Beudin is a name I didn’t recognize when reading this book, and looking at her short bio at the end of her tale, “What’s in a Shell?”, didn’t give any hints on if she had been published before. Well if this is her first story, then an extra special bravo goes to her as I really enjoyed it. If she has penned more than this story, then I will have to seek them out. Here Nathalie uses Russian nesting dolls as a great way to tell an eerie, and quite Lovecraftian, tale and the very nature of the nesting dolls, one inside another, inside another, inside another and so on, was a great way to unfold the story.

Speaking on name recognition, Lee Clark Zumpe should be one that is well-known name to fans of Lovecraftian fiction as he has consistently put out many excellent Mythos stories since the 1990s. Here he once again delivers the goods with “Alone in the Cataloochee Valley.” Besides being a great story in its own right, this showcases the nice variety of settings editor A.J. French assembled for this book. From the previously mentioned dark future sci-fi of Glynn Barrass, to a more traditional Lovecraftian experience set in the early 1900s, THE SHADOW OF THE UNKNOWN really tries its best to have it all, and it succeeds for the most part.

And since I brought up Mr. French once more, kudos must be sent his way for not only organizing a very fine book, but writing a pretty good story for it too. His “When Clown Face Speaks” was a cool little yarn about a writer losing his mind, or perhaps coming to terms with a wider definition of reality. Oh, and creepy clown paintings, you’ve got to love them creepy clowns.

THE SHADOW OF THE UNKNOWN is a solid collection of Lovecraftian terrors. It has a nice wide range of styles and settings, with far more hits than misses, and a few real gems gleaming brightly to catch the eye. Fans of the Cthulhu Mythos or just weird fiction in general should give this one a read. Consider it well recommended.

You may ask, can Hautala write a mainstream novel that’s as good as his horror fare?  Not only is the answer yes, but the man pulled it off big time!  Rough Winds is a novel that is so involving that readers will have a hard time putting the damn thing down.  With its emotionally wrenching scenes and chair gripping moments, you’re going to wonder why the hell Hautala didn’t write something like this years ago.

The Brown family’s linage on Catawamkeag Cove in Maine goes back centuries, all of them making their living from the sea.   Presently, Captain Wally, the patriarch, runs a lobster boat, but times are tough and he finds himself hauling on board a lot more than just traps full of crustaceans; sometimes his catch was grown in green fields.  Aside from his problems with the local mob with whom he has taken a loan out to purchase his newest boat, he has a drinking problem, his wife has Alzheimer’s, his daughter is married to a local cop who is beating her, one son is a loser, and the other son is a returning veteran who does not want to follow in the family tradition.  But Wally manages to get by and doesn’t seem to all too concerned about his families affairs, at least to the point where he stops his drinking and whoring ways.

Ben Brown is the returning Iraq veteran and he’s just now learning of all the issues that his family is facing.  But he’s got some of his own that he has to deal with also.  The first is a terrible secret he harbors regarding an incident in Iraq, and the second is that he has met a woman in town, a flatlander, and he is falling in love with her.

What follows is a story that is as intriguing as it is tragic.  Each of the characters miseries bleed out onto the others, causing all sorts of conflicting emotions and heartache.  You know how when you drop a pebble into a pond and then stand back and watch the ripples radiate out in circles?  Well, imagine dropping five pebbles into that pond, one after another and close to each other, and then watch how all those ripples intersect and collide with one another. That’s a lot like what happens in the lives of these characters in Rough Winds.

The amazing thing about Hautala’s writing in Rough Winds is that he never shouts at the readers.  He creates tension subtly, mostly by granting us access to the emotional states of his characters via thoughts and conversation rather than violence.  Even his action scenes are understated; he wants us to feel his characters desperation rather than their physical pain.  And it all works beautifully.   We become so captivated by his characters we find ourselves needing to know what they are thinking rather than how much blood was lost or the physical aftereffects of a beating.  But that’s not say there is no action in Rough Winds, there’s more than enough to satisfy any thriller readers itch and, the ending of the story packs one hell of a wallop.

So when you’ve had enough of blood, guts, and gore to last you for a few days and you want to sit down with something that’s thought provoking rather than thought revoking, pick up Rick Hautala’s, Rough Winds, you’ll have an awfully good read ahead of you.

The original version of Nightworld was published in 1992 and as the end(?) of Repairman Jack looms over Dr. Wilson’s legions of fans, the updated edition serves as a fitting coda to one of fiction’s most memorable characters.

Why the re-release? Wilson doesn’t cut corners and while special editions of his novels are commonplace, Nightworld, the 2012 edition, is far from just a retread.  Borderlands Press released a similar updated edition a few years ago but this takes it a step further and for quite a few dollars less.

What makes it different? Simple. The original story was meant to simply serve as the 6th book in the Adversary series, one that Repairman Jack only made an appearance in The Tomb, and this entry.

Then the RJ franchise took the world by storm. Originally, in Nightworld, Jack had to be filled in on the majority of the Otherness and all things “Wilson-craftian,” the background of the genre-bending horror thriller adventuress as the story arc  skidded to its resolution.  Over the course of 15 Jack novels, we grew with him, learned his place in the cosmos and all things light, dark, and gray.  He now knows all that was dumped on him in the 1992 edition.

What else? Over the course of that many books, Jack grew with a cast of great characters who propelled him further into readers’ psyches, which weren’t there twenty years ago.

So, as the author had stated in an interview, 8000 words were cut, but this version runs 10000 words longer than the first. For those who still don’t buy the concept, this isn’t an “uncut” version or “author’s preferred” thing.  Nearly 20,000 new words found their way into the final version of the story, thus adding a massive element into the conclusion to the series that had never existed until now.

The story itself holds readers rapt with the Conflict between the Adversary and The Otherness, Jack and Rasalom, right in the middle of Central Park in New York City. A massive hole opens up, seemingly bottomless, and odd, insect-like creatures begin crawling out and devouring the population. Glaeken is back, in his swan song, set up perfectly in the final RJ entry, The Dark At The End. He has enlisted Jack and others to go for a Hail Mary attempt in order to save the world as the days grow shorter and shorter, thus creating, a night world. Much of the original plot is in place here, thankfully, and is only enhanced by Wilson’s long standing relationship with Jack.

Both series must conclude, but this is not the end.

A phenomenal summation to both series, not to be missed by fans of either one. Hopefully, this might win over the few readers out there who have yet to enjoy this long ride.

The first, “The Haunted Boy”, sees Abe dispatched by The B.P.R.D. (The Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, a kind of Supernatural F.B.I., or S.H.I.E.L.D. with spooks, for the Marvel fans out there……) to investigate a specter that appears at the site of a young boy’s drowning. Despite the mundane nature of the case, Abe gets more than he was bargaining for (Of course!), and the end result is both chillingly disturbing and heart-breakingly touching.

Next up is the two-parter “The Abyssal Plain”, which sees Abe and a new recurring character, B.P.R.D. Agent Sal Tasso, heading up a salvage operation in hopes of recovering a holy relic that was lost in a downed Russian submarine following World War II. Abe embarks on a haunting solo journey through the mausoleum-like vessel, and recovers the object, only to discover that the crewman tasked with guarding the relic doesn’t see death as a good enough reason to leave his post. Mignola and Arcudi once again shade their Horror with tinges of grief, honor, and humor, giving added depth to what could have been just another Zombie story, and Artist Peter Snejbjerg absolutely knocks it out of the park. This story gets added points for featuring one of my favorite B.P.R.D.- Universe characters, the creepy Russian Demon-child Varvara.

The collection concludes with the two part “The Devil Does Not Jest”, which starts out as a missing-persons case, and turns into the mother of all Haunted Houses. Artist James Harren amps up the creepy-factor big time here…..wait until you see just what is waiting down in the basement! This story also features a cameo appearance from Hellboy, which is always welcome in a B.P.R.D. story. (The tales featured in Abe Sapien: The Devil Does Not Jest and Other Stories are all set in the past, before Hellboy left the B.P.R.D. to go solo.)

The collection features a new cover by creator Mike Mignola, a complete cover gallery, and an extensive sketchbook section. All of the stories are completely self-contained, and would be a perfect introduction to the world of Abe Sapien and The B.P.R.D. for any newcomers.

The talented Nina Allan contributes “The Elephant Girl” ,an extremely disquieting tale where a pregnant teacher has to face the unnerving behavior of a weird little schoolgirl.

“L’Anneau de Verre” represents a new , long awaited tale by the  excellent but, sadly, unprolific Don Tumasonis. It’s a dark, fascinating story set at the time of the French Revolution when virtue and faith came to grief bringing to a cruel end the life of an innocent nun.

Andrew Hook’s “The Quickening” to me is mostly a gloomy piece about loneliness and alienation (but I may have missed the point entirely), while Gary McMahon’s  unnerving and elegantly written “Kill All Monsters” is a fine tale of obsession and desperation.

In the superb, insightful “None So Blind” by Stephen Bacon ,a blind woman and a sick man , both victims of the same monster, have a fleeting but significant encounter.

The highlight of the volume is certainly ” The Sick Mannes Salve” by  the emerging, terrific new writer George Berguno  The spellbinding narrative features a young man endeavoring to take possession of a dangerous, deadly inheritance.

Other contributors, whose stories , although fair enough, failed to particularly impress me ,are Ray Cluley and Kirsty Logan.

It is refreshing and encouraging to realize that excellent dark fiction keeps filling the pages of  books and magazines produced ,with love and commitment , by small imprints run by genre enthusiasts.

“Shadows & Tall Trees” is a  very fine example. The best way to support it is to buy it. I guarantee it’s worth your money.

Back in 1996, before she was known as the queen of anthologies, she released a nasty collection of revenge tales called Lethal Kisses.  Long out of print, Christopher Roden and Ash Tree Press has put one of her early treasures back into circulation.

Take one look at the authors within and one will not need much to be sold on the purchase:

A. R. Morlan, Caitlín R. Kiernan, Thomas Tessier, Terry Lamsley, Joyce Carol Oates, Roberta Lannes, Pat Cadigan, Simon Ings, David J. Schow, Christopher Fowler, Douglas Clegg, Jonathan Lethem, Michael Marshall Smith, Michael Swanwick, Jack Dann, Pat Murphy, Michael Cadnum, Richard Christian Matheson, M. M. O’Driscoll.

Finding a favorite tale in this anthology is beyond tough, so I won’t, but will point out a few highlights. Of course, some authors included here could likely never miss, so delving into their entries would be redundant (these might be Michael Marshall Smith, Caitlin Kiernan, Joyce Carol Oats and others). The strongest is a light-hearted story from Pat Murphy, one that will linger long after finishing it. David J. Schow turns in another killer story about the ramifications of gossip, something that many should take heed of here. Christopher Fowler, a man who should have a much greater audience, tells his revenge within the confines of his London but in a three part story. Finally, Roberta Lannes has the ugliest (read very, very cool) story about an abused teen. Tough to read, but very rewarding.

Take the time to dive into this anthology for several reasons. It holds up well as one of Datlow’s earliest efforts that put her on the map and the stories are even more solid than many later ones. The title may have changed but the quality has remained the same.

This IS the perfect medication for those suffering from Twilight symptoms.

Anytime these two editors combine their efforts, like the Year’s Best Fantasy & Horror annuals of the past, a reader knows what he or she will get – nothing but quality. Of course, not everything will work, but this effort is strong from start to finish.  One difference between this and other collections is the lack of big names. This reviewer’s reply to that observation? So what. A good story is a good story.

That being said, Neil Gaiman does have a short poem between the pages. There might be someone else familiar here, such as Tanith Lee, Lucius Shepard, and Kathy Koja, who have made their careers in adult dark fantasy.

The stories within do follow young adult rules and have teen protagonists. They also have a lack of gore and sex (even though modern teens know more about these details than many adults).  The stories do not all have happy endings, thankfully, sidestepping the Twilight epidemic, and do have some nasty aftertastes.

Possibly these two icons of the anthology world can collaborate again and tackle other horror tropes in this YA fashion.  Something tells me it would be another slam dunk.

With Vampires.

Searls gets off to a bad start with an overlong prologue that turns out to have almost nothing to do with the meat of the book: He introduces us to the small Michigan town of Babylon and it’s unusual inhabitants, but does so with a character who is quickly dispatched and never seen again, leaving us to basically start from scratch again as soon as the novel proper begins. Searls’ Babylon is totally isolated from the rest of the world……It’s out of the way, there’s no cable, internet, or cell phone service, and yet, it manages to support a thriving small-town economy. Lately, though, outsiders have been arriving en masse, press-ganged into taking up residence in Babylon by the local Law-Enforcement contingent, who pull passersby over for minor traffic infractions, and lure them to Babylon with promises of jobs, homes, and prosperity. The outsiders are put up in the dirt-cheap Sundown Motel, where they commiserate each night about their cushy, high-paying jobs. If these people had ever read a Horror novel, they would know exactly what is going on in Babylon…..unfortunately, they need the help of a disgraced Investment Banker, who has also recently taken up residence in the strange town, before their eyes are opened.

Searls manages to defy expectations by having the influx of new blood be a consequence of the rising tensions between two factions of Vampires: The old guard, who seems to co-exist peacefully with the townspeople, and lives off of blood collected via hilariously depicted blood drives (The townsfolk are rewarded with immortality when they hit Social Security age), and the newer bloodsuckers, who have that pesky new Vampire sense of entitlement that makes them think they can suck on anyone they want. The book’s momentum is unfortunately interrupted by a massive info-dump halfway through, where the main Vamp shares his life story, which goes on, and on, and on…and ON. (I was probably more amused by this endless interlude then most readers will be, as a chunk of it takes place in my current hometown of Rochester, New York. People that don’t live in Rochester will no doubt be less enthused.) The book ends with a massive throwdown between all of the warring factions, and this is where Searls seriously started to lose me, as the majority of his characters are so thinly drawn that even he starts to refer to them by their physical characteristics rather than just by their names, which led me to a massive disconnect when the body count started piling up. It was really tough to care about people who have been set up to be cannon fodder since page one.

Bloodthirst In Babylon is not a bad book, by any stretch of the imagination, but it could have used some serious trimming, especially in the overlong middle section, where it becomes “Interview With The Vampire Part Deux”.