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As the title of this post says, I am overwhelmed... but this time in a good way.

Last week when I arrived in New York I blatantly avoided my e-mail. I needed a break from any sort of internet contact to clear my head and sort through some personal life problems. Yesterday I tried getting my e-mail working from my Dad's computer but experienced some annoying technical problems. This morning I got it working and, after sorting through a crapload of junk mail, I found something that really brightened my day.

I am overwhelmed, touched, and speechless by the concern and understanding you've all shown me, be it by e-mail or posting on the (temporary) livejournal forum. I really don't know what to say except thank you. You really are the greatest readers in the whole world.

I'm visiting some friends in Boston tomorrow and coming back to New York on Friday. I'm going to try and produce enough strips to fill the gap, but don't be surprised if some sketchy filler artwork sneaks its way in there.

Thank you all so very much.
I don't know what I'd do without you folks. :)

Okay folks.
I'm going to be completely honest with you.

I spent the day with my parents yesterday.
They saw that I was a personally conflicted mess.

So they got me puking-on-the-side-of-the-road drunk.
Which I did.
Twice.

It's about quarter to six in the morning here and I just woke up. I'm still a personally conflicted mess, only know I'm wide awake and have no strip for you lovely people, and for that I am sorry.

Dominic Deegan and company will return tomorrow.
Salud.

Okay folks.
Here's the situation.

I'm going to New York for a little while to sort out some of the complicated things that have taken siege of my personal life. This will only affect things around here in a couple of ways...

- Sunday strips won't be in color, since I don't have room for my markers in my luggage. So instead of the big full-page color strips I've been doing lately, Sunday strips will look like every other weekday and Saturday strip.

- It might take me a little longer than usual to answer e-mails about advertising and sending out donation wallpapers.

Otherwise things ought to be pretty much normal around here while I take a lasso to my personal life and try to wrestle it into submission.

Before I get to the comic books, let me spread some love for the comic webs... er, webcomics.

With a slick new layout and the war begun anew, check out Swordwaltzer for some high-quality fantasy warfare.

Mac Hall lives on in Three Panel Soul. Matt Boyd is the voice of his generation. Like a Pepsi. With alcohol.

What else can I say except that Minus is a real gem.

Now then.
On to the comic bookery.

Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane #16 was, like every other issue, a breath of fresh air for Spider-Man. You almost forget that he started doing this whole superhero gig when he was fifteen, and this title really captures the high school drama and gossip that rules everyone at that age. And Firestar is adorable in her "retro duds."

The Flash #10 is continuing to really impress me. The new writer that just started last month has brought a real solid voice to Bart Allen and looks to be setting up one hell of a storyarc. The choice to make him pursue the life of a police officer lends a great detective edge to the character. And who thought the Flash could get stuck in Los Angeles traffic? I guess no one is exempt from that.

Shadowpact #11 brings us the showdown between the second-string Shadowpact and Etrigan. I like this title, I really do, but I'd like to see the whole team work together again like they did in the Day of Vengeance miniseries. Singling out team-members and bringing in new recruits is good every so often, but it seems to be happening a lot lately. Oh well. This was still a quality issue with plenty of demon-butt getting kicked and a particularly pious moment for Ragman... but then again, I'm partial to him because he's my favorite.

The spotlight also shifts in The Spirit #4, where our narrator is the hardened and lovely CIA agent Silk Satin. Man. I love this title so much. It's one of the few books that successfully combines old-fashioned comic bookery with modern appeal. Not to mention that the two-page spread of the title in every issue is just plain awesome. This book is a must-read.

I was really looking forward yo Aquaman #50, what with its new creative team, and I can't help but feel a little disappointed. It's a double-sized issue, so that's cool, and the artwork is really unique, which is another bonus. The writing, unfortunately, felt like it was still trying to get its sea-legs (pun intended). The former artist for this book didn't draw the new Aquaman to look young enough, but the new writer is writing him to be too young. In the middle of an undersea sword-and-sorcery epic, it was a bit jarring to get an internet joke. And Topo is quickly becoming the Jar-Jar Binks of this series. And this was his first appearance! I really hope things look up from this rough start, although Aquaman's oath on the last page was pretty nifty. I'm keeping my fins crossed on this one, because Shadowpact had an equally choppy beginning, and now I love it all over again.

Justice Society of America #4, however, lives up to everything I had hoped for. Wildcat's son is awesome and fuzzy. Cyclone's and Damage's inner monologues are not only well written but genuinely affecting, especially given the big mistake Damage makes. I especially got a shiver up my geekhood when I saw the new team assembled at their table, old vets and rookies alike. I give the JSA a big thumbs-up.

And finally, things were definitely looking bad for the mad scientists of Oolong Island in week forty-six of 52, but their stand against Black Adam was not only surprisingly effective but freaking hilarious. And Lex Luthor? I never knew I could love and hate a villain in the same breath while he eats a sandwich. Only six issues left and I do not want this masterpiece to end. *whimper*

Howdy everybody.

Not a whole lot to report today, but there are a couple of groovie things worth mentioning, so I'll go ahead and do that.

For those of you who may not have seen this, Dominic was blessed with a small "cameo" in the Advanced Class section of GIRL GENIUS yesterday! Not only is it a huge rush and honor to be even doodled into the corner of such an excellent comic, but Dominic happens to be surrounded by some very prestigious company. My humblest thanks to Phil and Kaja Foglio for making my freaking day.

Have you pre-ordered your copy of SPWUG yet? If not, you just might make me cry fire monkey tears.

And finally, as a temporary fix to the "no forum" problem, I'm linking the fan-created and run Seer's Fan Community as a forum... for now. The folks here are very nice and often provide some entertaining insight into the comic, so feel free to join in the discussions there.

That's all from me for now.
See you on Thursday when I review this week's new comics.

Once again a day late, but here they are nonetheless.
These are the new comics I bought this week.

Martian Manhunter #8 of 8 brought this tale of intrigue, conspiracy and race-relations to its conclusion. I loved this series but had mixed feelings about this last issue. Most of the "big reveal" ending, which was a joyously unexpected twist, relies on the reader already knowing a lot about Martian Manhunter's history. There's plenty of exposition to bring you up-to-speed, but it just didn't have the same effect on me, who's only just recently gotten to liking J'onn J'onzz. This series ended on a high note, however, and I'm a sucker for optimistic endings. Overall this was a great mini-series that really showed off just how freaking awesome the Martian Manhunter is. Pick this one up if you get the chance.

Tales of the Unexpected #6 of 8 really disturbed me and made me laugh my ass off. I was disturbed with the subject of the first tale, which always features The Spectre, because it deals with the broad-daylight kidnapping of children by disgusting perverts. I like some reality in my comics, but this was just a little too dark and gritty for me and left me with a chill, even though the ending was both subtle and horrifically brutal. I laughed my ass off, as I usually do, with the adventures of the hapless Doctor Thirteen and the group of DCU rejects. Between the ghost pirates battling Mount Rushmore and a talking vampire gorilla with fascist leanings... man. This is pure gold.

Thunderbolts #112 has, once again, a lot of people talking about what already happened and what's going to happen next. Granted the last issue (which I forgot to review) was an awesome, action-packed, beautifully drawn and ultimately very sad. Poor Jack Flag. Still, while nothing actually happens in this issue, the dialogue is fantastic and the artwork is beautiful. The one page featuring Stan Lee was worth buying this issue alone.

It takes a lot to make the world's biggest pop-culture superhero joke respectable, and it takes a whole lot more to make him downright badass. Robin #160 shows that Tim Drake is a great detective, a smart fighter and a compassionate superhero. I never thought I'd turn a page and say, "Wow, Robin looks pretty intimidating in that picture." It should be noted that Robin doesn't wear the little green shorts anymore. Now he's got a cool red-and-black outfit with a cape resembling Batman's. With solid writing and artwork, this book will seriously surprise you. Give the Boy Wonder a chance.

Ghost Rider #9 was a disappointingly quick read. I guess that happens when an issue is mostly brawling and not much dialogue. The story didn't advance too much here, but the sequences were pretty nifty and the very last page was just plain jaw-dropping. It's nice to see Ghost Rider on the move again.

Moon Knight #8 technically takes place in the past, since it's set during the Civil War and, oh yeah, Captain America's not dead. Again, there's a lot of standing around talking about stuff in this issue. Which is good, because it really established that Moon Knight is a lunatic and a "hero" in the very loosest of terms. I also happen to agree whole-heartedly with Moon Knight's stance on Civil War as a whole. Bad because I wanted something to happen. The rant on the last page about the current state of superhero costumes was hilarious, though.

Mystery in Space #7 of 8 is bringing the conflict over Hardcore Station to a head. The corrupt Eternal Light Corporation ("Praise the Profit!") is out to get Captain Comet by any means necessary, even killing an entire sector of people. Captain Comet is an old-school hero, but this series has made him young again and much more like a tough-guy action-star superhero. He solves everything by beating the bad guys up with his mind. And The Weird always seems to be getting the raw end of the deal, either getting knocked out or brainwashed or psychically tricked, this poor guy deserves a break! His inner monologue is some of my favorite writing in this entire series.

Superman #660 showcases one of the Man of Steel's more colorful opponents, The Prankster. He's an old-fashioned type of villain who's more of an artist and a performer than a badass thug or a lunatic murderer, so I immediately like him. I just wish this issue had more, y'know, Superman in it! He's only got the book named after him! And the "Camelot Falls" story had very little Superman, too! I swear, I'd like to pick up this title one day and actually see the big guy himself in the spotlight. Sheesh. The Prankster is pretty cool, though, so I can't be too upset with this month's issue.

And finally, things just all go straight to hell in week forty-five of 52. Black Adam was doing so well with his own family. He really was. Now he's gone all loony-toony and basically kills everybody in a neighboring country. Literally. Everyone. That's pretty much all that happens in this issue, besides the entire world going "Holy crap!" Still, it's not pleasant to read and it's just sad to see how far he falls and how quickly it happens. I can't wait to see what happens next.

I'm heading off to visit the ladyfriend's family this weekend, and I'm leaving today. I've gotten enough strips finished to cover my absence so hopefully y'all won't notice that I'm gone.

Oh yeah. I guess I didn't get to putting up a new forum this week. Whoops. :(

New comic book reviews will be posted later today since there are lots of them and I'm a bit busy. In the meantime...

Have you ever wanted to be an Executive Producer for an independent film? If the answer is yes and you wanna help out a good buddy of mine with one of his newest projects, click here to bid on the Executive Producer slots for his latest project! Brian's a friend of mine and he does quality work, so show him some love if you can swing it.

There are only a few weeks left to order your advance copy of SPWUG, a new magazine which I am proud to have contributed to, at the pre-sale price. Besides an article and some fiction from me, this magazine has great writing, fantastic artwork and a really slick layout. The founder is also a dear friend of mine and she's really put her heart and soul into this magazine, so show her (and me) some love if you can swing it.

That's all for now.
New comics later!

First and foremost, good luck Brian.
He's the only man I'll go topless for at ConnectiCon.

Other than that, I want to thank you all for the feedback and general concern you expressed over the possibility that Dominic and Luna might be broken up. I really had some of you worried! Anyway, feedback like that is always very much appreciated, and I extend my thanks to you.

I'll get to putting up a new forum sometime this week. I promise. Or the beginning of next week, since I'm actually kinda busy this week. I promise.

The Helmet of Fate makes its final stop across the DCU with an agent of God in The Helmet of Fate: Zauriel #1. Now I know that demons are supposed to be so much cooler than angels because they're all badass rebels and such, but this one-shot really proves that even a "do-gooder" angel can be an interesting and downright funny character to read. It was particularly amusing to watch Zauriel get bamboozled by a horde of ten-year-olds with questions about God. Good stuff.

Outsiders #46 continues its flashback story when Black Lightning was incarcerated and the Outsiders debated breaking him out. There wasn't a whole lot of action in this issue except for Captain Boomerang getting beaten up in prison, but the dialogue was fantastic. The post-sex dialogue between Grace and Thunder about the nature of her bisexuality was great for character development and it was ultimately very touching. No pun intended. Hooray for inter-racial superhero same-sex bisexual romance!

A great mini-series came to an end with Uncle Sam & The Freedom Fighters #8 of 8, and I was really sorry to see it end. It takes some solid writing to make an interesting hero out of an old Army recruitment poster, and this mini-series did just that. Black Condor and Human Bomb have to be my favorite of the new team, even though the busty and often-drunk Phantom Lady's real name makes me giggle every time I read it. Stormy Knight. Hee hee. My only problem with the conclusion to this series was that a huge national conspiracy reaching to the very top levels of the United States government that had been built up for eight issues was basically deconstructed and wiped out in about four pages. I have no problems with tying up all loose ends at the end of a story, but I feel like it could've been stretched out a little longer. Ultimately this was a very enjoyable mini-series with great characters, witty dialogue and awesome artwork. If you haven't been following the single issues, pick up the trade paperback when it comes out. You won't regret it.

It's the showdown with the big baddies in Justice League of America #6, which finally brings together the new roster of this classic superteam. While he's got one hell of a stupid name, Amazo is certainly an impressive supervillain for the entire Justice League. I for one enjoyed the impact of Vixen's entrance, though I found her inner monologue to be a bit corny this issue. This title has some great writing, downright awesome artwork (yay gratuitous butt-shots) and a roster of classic superheroes and newcomers. Pick this one up.

The All-New Atom #9 floored me. It floored me last month and the month before. I don't know how this series keeps getting more enjoyable as it goes, but I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. This issue stands out for me because of the spot-on portrayal of school life as a nerd, outcast, target and lovesick schoolboy. Combine that with the growing cast of extremely unique and likeable characters (the floating alien head roommate and the anagram-dropping taxi driver), fantastic writing and the old-fashioned goodness that comic books are made of, and you have one title that you absolutely cannot afford to miss. I absolutely love this book. Gail Simone, if you're reading, I'd kiss you if you'd let me. Mwah.

The jaw-dropping Planet Hulk saga is nearing its conclusion in The Incredible Hulk #104. This issue makes use of one of the great tricks of writing... build up something absolutely beautiful and good so when you smash it into a million pieces it's that much more affecting. It's been a real treat to watch the Hulk rise up from slave to gladiator to rebel to empire-toppler to King and rebuild a war-torn alien world. Things were looking so good. Really. Until that very last page. Oh man. No wonder World War Hulk is on the horizon.

SHAZAM! & The Monster Society of Evil #2 is a real treat to read. The great thing about Captain Marvel is that he's an honest-to-goodness superhero that represents everything wondrous, fantastic and magical about the superhero genre. While I'm a fan of reality in my comic books, not every freaking superhero story has to be so mired in gritty realism that they lose their, well, superhero-ness. This issue has talking circus monsters, a benevolent tiger mentor, and the discovery of Billy Batson's little sister. It was really enjoyable to watch her embrace her new role without a lot of pesky inner monologue and doubt. Just a simple "Oh cool!" and it's off we go. That's the spirit of this series, and it's a breath of fresh air. Say the magic word already! SHAZAM!

But speaking of dark and gritty stories, week fourty-four of 52 is altogether tragic, foreboding and unfortunately expected. As compelling a character as Black Adam is, I really didn't think his utopian Kahndaq would last. It was still painful to watch everything come crumbling down around him in one freaking day. That's been the most affecting thing about this series... after spending fourty-odd weeks with some of these characters, it's that much more disturbing when they're simply and suddenly killed in the span of one page. Still, as sad as I am for Black Adam, it was a bit nice to see that "I am going to kill everyone in the world" look back on his face again.

It took a little longer to get around to than I would've liked, but I have finally updated the long-neglected Fan Art pages! Go ahead and check out all the new and wonderful artwork, including the filler submissions of Dominic's students that I requested a few weeks ago. You'll notice a slight theme there.

My ZeStuff erupts with kittens. Check it out.

There are also a couple of convention announcements to make. First of all, this weekend I will be at CHIMAERACON! You'll find me hanging out at the San-Japan table, helping them promote their convention and selling some books. I may also do a panel or two. Who knows? It should be fun.

If you can't make it there, I will also be making appearances at ANIME CENTRAL, A-KON, CONNECTICON and ATSUICON. I will more than likely be attending OTAKON this year as well, but nothing's definite yet.

March's Donation Wallpapers ought to be up later this week.

This was a great week for comics.
I'll get right to it because there's some good stuff here.

Unfortunately Hawkgirl #61 isn't really one of the good ones. I still think the idea of switching the title from Hawkman to Hawkgirl was an interesting idea, but the current writer just writes her so... girly. She's said "Oh!" so many times I'm just waiting for her to swoon and she gets her butt handed to her in just about every issue until someone comes to save her. Grr. Pretty much all she does in this issue is pine for Hawkman and get her butt kicked. The saving grace, however, is that the new artist draws very nice butts. Hooray for tight pants on superhero chicks.

The Flash #9 begins a new storyline headed up by a new creative team, and the writing here is really, really sharp. Bart Allen's inner monologue is very entertaining to read, as is his banter with his girlfriend. Unfortunately the poor guy gets dumped a few pages into this issue after he just spent the last three trying to save her! I know reality in comics is usually a thing to be praised, but ouch! Otherwise this was a great issue with fantastic writing and I'm hoping for good things to come.

Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane #15 continues to hit me in that "aww" place. Did you hear what Liz said about MJ? Ohmygod did Gwen tell everyone about Peter's secret? Was that Liz and Gwen at the mall? Oh. My. God. He did not just say that. *grin* This comic is a charming guilty pleasure for me, and if they didn't tell you on the front page of every issue that Peter Parker was Spider-Man you'd never be able to tell... until this issue, that is.

Action Comics! #846 continues the story of Superman's adopted son from Krypton... or not, if General Zod has something to say about it. Bad things happen when you take your kid to work in Metropolis, and things couldn't be looking worse for the Man of Steel. He (and poor Lois) get freaking manhandled in this issue, and just when things are looking extremely bad, they get extremely worse. The last pages of this issue left me biting my nails for more.

Justice #10 is a superhero battle royal of near-epic proportions between the Justice League and the Legion of Doom. Green Arrow is our narrator in this issue, and while he had a tendency to be a little too poetic and dramatic, his contribution to the battle is nothing short of Awesome with a capital "A." Aquaman kicks some major butt as he clears a path to his kidnapped son, The Atom makes fun of Batman, and Elongated Man proves he is one hell of a Leaguer. This is an amazing issue with an amazing ending that also left me biting my nails for more.

And so we reach our conclusion of one amazing series with Doctor Strange: The Oath #5 of 5. I can't say the ending was anything revelatory or unexpected, it was just well-written. The Sorcerer Supreme hasn't been this cool or charming in a long time, and it was a refreshing ride with this stellar miniseries. The "gloves come off" against the man who ruined Strange's hands, and their showdown was fantastic. If you haven't been reading this series, pick it up when it comes to trade paperback. You won't be disappointed.

And finally, it's week forty-three of the "please don't let it all end!" 52. Osiris seeks the Marvel Family for aid in his ailing country, while Sobek is just hungry. A horrific villain makes a horrific return. A truly noble hero gets a second chance to make it home (go, Buddy, go!). And the shocking ending of this week's issue reminded me just which of the mad scientists' Four Horsemen rode out first. *shudder*

I know I said I'd update the Fan Art pages last week and I apologize for not getting around to it. Truth be told I'm dealing with some things in my personal life right now that sometimes get in the way of keeping things up-to-date around here. With any luck I'll have that page updated this week.

Now then, let's move on to the happier stuff, shall we? First of all you'll notice some new swag in the Dominic Deegan ZeStuff store! I'm very happy with the new shirts being offered and I hope you'll like them, too.

The ad at the top of the page this week is for Spwug, a fledgling geek culture magazine that I contributed some articles and artwork to. It's now available for pre-order and, from what I've seen, it's going to be a pretty impressive launch. Go and check it out.

Lots of you are asking me about the status of the new forum. Aside from the "personal life stuff" I mentioned above, I'm working on it. Sorta.

And finally, I know they're late, but here are some pictures from the always-enjoyable Katsucon.
Nimmel!
Dominic!
A friend of mine all "dolled up!"

That's all from me for now.
Stay tuned later this week for how I'm planning on catching up on all the unanswered e-mails I've, well, failed to answer these past few months.

Meant to have this up earlier, but I was feeling ill last night after I bought this week's new comic books. Oh well. Better nate than lever, right?

Legion of Monsters: Werewolf by Night #1 is a one-shot comic spotlighting the classic Marvel monster, Werewolf by Night. Shoulda kept the poor wolf in the dark. Sheesh. I had no idea that hillbilly shut-in girls were natural smoking hotties and homeless drifers were sculpted (and perfectly stubbly) male models. Guh. I mean, woof.

The Amazing Spider-Man #538 ties directly in to the conclusion of Civil War, so if you're not reading that you'll have absolutely no freaking clue what's going on in this issue. Come to think of it, I haven't really enjoyed Spidey all that much these past few months. Lots of spider-angst and dramatically repeating the last few words of every sentence. Character development through tough times and introspection is all well and good, but not all the time. Not all the time.

The Helmet of Fate: Black Alice #1 is so far the best issue in the Helmet of Fate series of one-shots that documents the helmet's journey to its new owner. The artwork here is really solid and the writing (done by Gail Simone, who's currently writing The All-New Atom which I love) is fantastic. If only all the goth girls I knew in high school were as magical as Black Alice. Le sigh. It's a one-shot and stands strongly by itself, so do yourself a favor and pick this one up. You'll love it.

The Spirit #3 just blew me away. I love Darwyn Cooke's old-fashioned artwork, but it was the writing, the pacing, and the seamless switching of narrators that hooked me in this issue. And the way the flashback sequence was drawn? Very stylish and very cool. Man, I am loving this series so far. This is classic comic bookery at some of its finest. I hope the momentum continues on this one because it's awesome.

I can only wish that any of my first dates in high school (both of them) were as exciting and eventful as Tim Drake's in Robin #159. The world's most ridiculed sidekick gets as much pop-culture ribbing as Aquaman, but to actually sit down and read his book, which is very well-written and drawn, you get a new look at him. Besides Tim being a likeable guy, in this issue we get to see Batman be both a badass and a father-figure. This is a good series and I'm glad I started reading it.

Things look bad for my favorite magical superhero team in Shadowpact #10. Etrigan beat the snot out of them last issue and stole Blue Devil's trident. Now he can't stop rhyming, Ragman's powerless, Nightshade's got stitches and Nightmaster is on death's door with his own sword through his chest! To top it all off, Blue Devil's gone and made Hell "cool." I'm interested in seeing how this "replacement Shadowpact" will fare against Etrigan, but I just wish the actual team would get the spotlight more often instead of this constant stream of side-characters. Ah well. I still enjoy the book and it's a good, fun read.

I said it last month, but the Fisherman is a dumb idea for a villain. I do, however, appreciate the attempt to make him much freakier and scarier in Aquaman #49 by giving him Lovecraftian motivation and powers. I would've liked more time spent with Aquaman and his buddies this issue, but the "creature-out-of-space" inner monologue was entertaining enough. We'll see what the new creative team does with next month's extra-sized issue. The cover alone has me all giddy.

Superman #659 reminded me why I love the Man of Steel so much. While I didn't like the "Fall of Camelot" storyarc and all of its doom-and-gloom implications, this issue brought me right back where I wanted to be... watching Superman help people because it's the right thing to do. In this issue he recalls a time when a fiercely pious woman believed he was an angel, and all the implications (and complications) that followed. This story could've gone in a hundred bad directions, but the tale turned out to be fantastic and very well-written. I'd recommend picking this one up by itself. You'll enjoy it.

And finally, there's not much I can say about this week's 52 except... wow.

New comics reviewed Thursday.
Convention report with pictures plus Fan Art update on Friday.

I regret to say that I will be unable to attend both Digital Overload and ICON this year. I was really looking forward to these cons but real life kinda got in the way.

I will instead be attending Chimaeracon as the unofficial guest of San Japan. I'll probably run a panel or two and sell some swag. Stop by and say "hello" if you're in the area.

I just go back from KATSUCON about an hour ago.
I'm pooped.
I'll have a proper news update and con report either tomorrow or Wednesday.
Now I need sleep.