I don’t care that you cheated on me. I don’t care about any of that. I’m not heartbroken. At all.

All I care about is what the fuck this psycho wants now.

Shannon Crane, NAILBITER RETURNS #9

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DC’s still into their Future State initiative so it’s just independents for me this week.

BARBALIEN: RED PLANET #3

Barbalien continues to flee the Martian bounty hunter Boa Boaz–and continues to develop a relationship with a young activist under an assumed identity. But past and present collide when Boa begins targeting people in Barbalien’s life.

The BLACK HAMMER universe spin offs are a delight, almost without fail, and this one ‘s just as good as we watch Mark Markz grapple with telling the boy he loves just who he really is, all the while being pursued by a . . . well, a manhunter from Mars!

COLONEL WEIRD: COSMAGOG #4

Trapped in a cosmic pattern and losing his mind, Colonel Weird has a final revelation taking him back to where everything started–and reveals the way toward freedom.

And talking of the BLACK HAMMER spin-offs, another one comes to its conclusion with Colonel Weird appearing to finally find the way out of the Para-Zone and his endless wandering thanks to the help of a long lost friend with whom he’s reunited. Really enjoyed this mini-series, part Adam Strange homage, part mind-bending trip through weirdness, it’s worked a treat.

NAILBITER RETURNS #9

Who is the mastermind behind the resurrection of the Buckaroo Butchers? Why do they hate the Nailbiter? The Nailbiter and family must uncover their secrets before they turn a whole city into raging serial killers!

Well that mastermind is revealed at last and while it’s a bit of a cheat – a character we’d never really heard of until the last few issues – it’s done well enough that it’s forgivable. It’s gruesome and horrible, just as NAILBITER should be, but it says “To be concluded!” on the last page – is next issue the final one?!

SYMPATHY FOR NO DEVILS #4

Winston Wallis – the last human in a world of monsters – has an uncanny amount of good luck. Conspiracy surrounds him as he rushes to solve the murder of an innocent man…er, uh, monster.

Despite the fantastical setting – a futuristic city where only a single man lives amongst monsters – this series has been riding on the hard-boiled detective tropes every issue and this one, where the killer is revealed, follows the same pattern. Don’t get me wrong – it’s done well and looks good, just don’t expect anything blindingly original plot-wise.