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Cullen Bunn and past artistic collaborator Tyler Crook conjure up an old southern-style horror story that spans generations in “Harrow County” #1, opening with a troublesome witch who is gruesomely executed by a group of justifiably-fearful locals. A quick flashback reveals a sinister and macabre history with the mysterious woman, who the local populace can no longer ignore, but — as quickly as this is established — she’s put to death; or, at least, her executors make their best attempt to end her. With that, the scene moves to a few decades later when a young girl on the cusp of her eighteenth birthday finds herself plagued with some horrific sounds and visions. Fully aware that the connection will be immediately apparent, Bunn doesn’t try to make a mystery out of it. Crook conveys this multiple ways with his art; young Emmy’s father is immediately recognizable, even though he looked a little younger on the preceding pages, and the prominence of the gnarled old oak tree in Crook’s

Grant Morrison throttles back and keeps the action contained within a mere two worlds in “The Multiversity: The Society of Super-Heroes: Conquerors of the Counter-World” #1, the second of Morrison’s “Multiversity” issues and already a contender for the multiverse’s longest-titled comic book. It’s also a contender for one of the multiverse’s most entertaining comics, as Morrison mines a vast array of both classic and recent characters and devices, molding some very familiar concepts into some very different incarnations. His imagination is what makes this comic an enthralling and all-too-enjoyable page-turner, and penciller Chris Sprouse’s interpretation of Morrison’s ideas is downright captivating. If the highlighted icons of numbered earths along the spine of Sprouse’s cover are any indication, Earth-20 is at war with Earth-40, not that the numbers matter, but this simple trick adds an element of excitement for fans of the aficionados of multiple earths. One earth’s bloodthirsty rul

“Star Trek: Countdown to Darkness” #1 by Mike Johnson and David Messina (with a story credit from Roberto Orci) is the official prequel to “Star Trek Into Darkness,” this year’s follow up to JJ. Abrams’ somewhat controversial “Star Trek” reboot — although at this point, it’s somewhat tough see where that lead-in lies. The story opens with Kirk and Spock apparently haunted by the events of the first film and the lives they’re leading as a result. Johnson opens with a recap by way of a dream sequence, which is a nice way to ease readers back into the world, using familiar events in an unfamiliar way. It reminds us of what has gone before, as well as giving us a window into Spock’s mental state. Kirk, meanwhile, is more literal — he simple articulates his feelings directly in a personal log. Johnson certainly has the character voices down, and the contrast between their attitudes is perfectly illustrated by the way they’re depicted. With Spock, the conflict is internal and violent. In

“Saucer Country” is a series that launched with a huge amount of promise and originality, so it’s disappointing to get to the fourth issue and find it struggling. The series’ visuals remain nothing short of stunning, but it’s not hard to imagine that without an artist as abundantly talented as Ryan Kelly on board, the story would have lost its momentum completely by now. Writer Paul Cornell has kept his cards close to his chest right from the opening issue, but at this point it’s stopped being intriguing and started to become frustrating. The narrative taps the same “was it real/are they crazy” vein of the previous three months, but again, no clarifying information is forthcoming. It’s starting to feel like it’ll never arrive. It doesn’t help that the writing is faltering technically, as well. Characters aren’t given solid enough introductions month-to-month, and we’re shown multi-page flashbacks of events that might not have actually happened. The final page cliffhanger comes across

Paul Cornell and Ryan Kelly’s “Saucer Country” continues to surprise me in a variety of ways, including how the main character takes a backseat this issue. After the focus of the story being primarily on Governor Alvarado for the first two issues, she’s in less than a dozen panels of “Saucer Country” #3 as we shift primarily to two of the side characters. It’s a good move that builds things nicely and begins already tying things together in a way that feels layered and well considered. So far the biggest strength (of several) in “Saucer Country” continues to be how unexpected it is. Perhaps as a result of reviewing a lot of comics, I’m confronted frequently by stories that I can see coming a mile away. Not every story has to surprise me, but I’m incredibly impressed (and happy) when one does. I have to admit, I have no idea where “Saucer Country” is going. It weaves when I expect it to bob and bobs just when I think it will weave and the result is a comic I find myself really happy t

The “Mignolaverse” of comics at Dark Horse (“Hellboy,” “B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth,” “Lobster Johnson,” “Witchfinder,” “Abe Sapien”) has kicked into high gear for 2012, and so far, it’s been coming up roses. Part of the expansion of comics for the year has meant some new collaborators stepping on board, like Scott Allie and Jason Latour joining Mike Mignola for the two-part “B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth: The Pickens County Horror” mini-series. “B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth: The Pickens County Horror” has taken advantage of the expanded publishing schedule to focus not on the regular cast of “B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth,” but instead two other members of the organization, agents Vaughn and Peters. This second half of the mini-series picks up right where the first issue left off; the pair of them trapped in a cottage with an odd man inside, a deadly fog and horde of vampires outside and Peters wounded and delirious. It’s a classic horror story set-up and Mignola and Allie use the situation well. What stru

“Saucer Country” #1 delivered a strong first issue courtesy of Paul Cornell and Ryan Kelly, but with the main thrust of the series being delivered on the final page — the revelation that Governor Arcadia Alvarado and her ex-husband Michael were abducted by aliens — it could literally go anywhere from there. So it was with a little trepidation that I approached the second issue. Imagine my delight to see that it went in the best way possible. It’s a relief to see Arcadia handle this news in the most rational way possible. Cornell has created a character who’s supposed to be savvy enough to be running for President of the United States, and this is the moment where we begin to believe it. Her calm admittance that she can’t tell the world is good, and her reasons for wanting to delve further into the experience is a moment of grace under pressure. You can believe that this is a woman that’s already Governor of New Mexico, and whose star is rising. The reaction of Arcadia’s two confident

“B.P.R.D. Hell On Earth: The Pickens County Horror” #1 is the start of another excellent short horror story that stands alone but still develops the ever-expanding “Hellboy” universe. This model of two-issue, punchy and dynamically terrifying tales yields wonderful stories told with little decompression or overextension. This issue introduces everything we need to know, lays down every hook and opens the path for more warped moments to follow in next month’s conclusion. The horror of the Pickens County is vampires, who definitely fit the mold of things that go bump in the night. There isn’t a lot of action in this issue. Although one flashback with Prussian vampires stands out for sheer crazy inventiveness, the rest of the issue is all about the unsettling dread. The fog clouds vision and disorients characters while shrouding mysterious objects. Although the reader never discovers what’s beyond the mist, the issue effectively shows character reactions rather than the exact events sur

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