Valiant; $5.99

Three tales are presented in this tie-in to the “Resurgence of the Valiant Universe” event. First, a man who was framed for a crime will do anything for his freedom and revenge. Punk Mambo and Doctor Mirage travel through the Deadside, hoping to find Mirage’s husband, Hwen. The issue closes with a long ago story about Shadowman confronting a powerful sorcerer in Central Africa.

Shadowman and Punk Mambo are two of Valiant’s supernaturally powered and darker antiheroes who fight the nastiest of beasties. This one-shot, with stories by A.J. Ampadu, pits them against villainous magic users, horrible creatures, and others who prey on the Liveside.

It isn’t clear how this ties into the “Resurgence” event, aside from the Punk Mambo and Doctor Mirage story, but perhaps those connections will be revealed in one of the main series. Even if they don’t, the horror themed issue makes for good Halloween reading.

-Amanda Sheriff